You Are My Life
by SilverRose27
Summary: Ritsu struggles with deciding if he wants to move in with Masamune. More people show up from Ritsu and Masamune's past and cause quite a stir. Are they ready for it? 4th in my 'Let Me be The One' series. Summery sucks... Romance/humor/Drama
1. Chapter 1

**~Kyaaaa!~ Haha, I loved all the feedback I got. You guys are so nice! I love you! Hey, I know I have said it before, but I'm still very sick. It sucks, but I'm serious. If I don't say anything and I disappear for two weeks without a message, it probably means I'm dead. I'm not trying to freak you out, I just thought you should know. The doctors still can't figure out what to do. The worst part is that no pain-killers can work for me. I've tried many different kinds. Ugh, sorry, not trying to be all depressing! **

**In this one, you get to meet a few more people from Ritsu's past, and possibly from Masamune's as well.**

**Disclaimer~**

Ritsu walked into Emerald without looking up. He knew what he would see if he did. He felt like a jerk, but he'd been avoiding Masamune for two days. When he asked if Ritsu wanted to move in with him, Ritsu panicked and feigned sleep. But he knew he was a terrible liar and Masamune knew it too. He couldn't look him in the eyes at all.

Masamune was pissed. If Ritsu didn't want to move in with him, he could just say so! Instead he just kept avoiding him. Masamune knew it was partly his fault. Ritsu'd had a bad week and then he sprung that question on him. They'd only been dating (officially) for about four months. If you counted their highschool romance, it was eight. _Was it too early? Did I scare him? But I just wanted him to stay, to wake up in my bed…__**our**__ bed. _

Ritsu sighed and sat down. His mangaka were all doing fine. All except one. Kano was still skittish about seeing him. He was terrified that he would hurt Ritsu again. Ritsu felt bad about what happened. He was lucky that Kano's last storyboard was the ending of his book, or else it could have gotten ugly. Now the media was demanding a release date for the new volume, and he had no idea what to tell them. Shinzo was trying to reassure Kano that everything would be fine. Besides, he hadn't even really hurt Ritsu. He only accidentally knocked a bookshelf down and Ritsu saved his life by pushing him out of the way. The office phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Masamune watched with mild interest as Ritsu answered the phone. He had nothing to do because he'd already yelled at all of his mangaka and he knew they were working. He noticed a man (who was also on the phone) come up behind Ritsu as he was talking, but he dismissed it as a new guy who was lost or something… until…

"Hello?... W-what?...P-Please tell me you're kidding!" Ritsu sputtered, oblivious.

"NOPE!" The man shouted, scaring Ritsu half to death. He jumped so bad he fell out of his chair. Kisa just stare, open-mouthed, and Hatori was still not in yet. The man caught him right before his head hit the ground and put him back in his chair. Ritsu was still frozen in shock. By this time, Masamune was already right there, ready to yell.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Who the hell do you think you are—" His snarl was cut off by the man extending his hand and smiling.

"Hello! I'm Tokamo. Onodera Tokamo."

"O-Onodera?" _Shit. The first Onodera I meet and I just yelled at him. But he did scare Ritsu half to death… _He didn't think the man was his father, though. He'd briefly seen his mother, and all he got from her was his eyes. This man had black hair, grey eyes, and was almost as tall as Masamune himself. They looked nothing alike. Ritsu recovered and asked,

"Uncle Tokamo! What are you doing here?"

"Well, your mother was worried about you… And I wanted to come see Ishikaru, too."

"Okay, but why are you _here_, as in _here." _He motioned to the room around them.

"Oh. I just wanted to see how work was going. Plus, this nice young man named Isaka-san told me I could stay and watch for a bit." _I'm going to kill him. _

"That would be up to my boss, Takano-san." He pointed to Masamune. His eyes positively screamed 'don't say yes!'

"I don't see why not." _Traitor!_

"B-but uncle Toka! W-what about Ari-chan?" The man was quiet for a moment. He sighed and said,

"She… she really doesn't want to talk to me right now…"

"Why—Ah, never mind. I have to get to work! Stay if you really want to—"

"Nah, I probably will tomorrow though. I'm staying with you until further notice though, so could you give me a key?" Ritsu sighed. He couldn't say no. It was his uncle!

"Okay. I'll be home around seven, so just text me what you want to eat and I'll bring it home."

"No, I'll cook for you. It's the least I could do!" He half-hugged Ritsu and walked away. Ritsu went back to work, straightening up his papers and calling his authors. _I can only think of one good thing that could come of this… And I know I'm an ass for it._ He knew that as long as his uncle was there, Masamune couldn't touch him. _Stupid Masamune! We've only been going out for four months… Am I over-thinking? I mean, it would be kind of nice not to have to go back and forth…. But what if we had a bad fight? I couldn't just run home and lock the door… I'd be stuck there with him. I mean, we fight all the time, and it's usually not that bad, but still… Maybe…_

"—Ri-chan?"

"Oh, sorry, Kisa-san! What were you saying?"

"I was asking if your mangaka, Nuriki-sensei, was done with her latest issue yet. I can't wait to see it!"

"Oh… Yeah, she is. She just wanted to wait until next week to release it though." Kisa nodded.

"It's good to do that sometimes. It can raise demand and add suspense."

"I have a pre-copy in my desk if you want—"

"YES! Oh, thank you, Ri-chan! You're the best!"

_At least _**someone**_ thinks so._

8888

Ritsu glanced nervously at the man beside him on the train. He failed to escape Masamune at the end of the day. Masamune didn't say anything, he just grabbed onto Ritsu's hand and held on. Ritsu was dumbfounded. He was also kind of annoyed. Masamune knew he hated any kind of public affections, but he let it go. _Just this once…_

Once they were in front of their apartments, he let go of Masamune's hand. Masamune groaned inwardly when he realized he couldn't follow Ritsu into his apartment. _I guess I'll have to make do with just kissing him goodnight then… _

But Ritsu ducked out of his grasp.

"What—"

"That's for being a traitor. And because my uncle is right in there." He motioned to the door. Masamune growled softly. When Ritsu turned around, he grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around, right into his lips. After a second, Ritsu pulled back and hissed,

"_You Bastard! What the hell are you doing?"_

"Well, I _was_ kissing you—"

"Shhh! Not so loud!"

Suddenly the door opened to reveal Toka, smiling and wearing an apron.

"Oh, Ritsu, you're home! Good. Who's this?"

"Th-this is my boss, Takano-san. He's also my neighbor."

"Oh yeah. I remember. I met him briefly earlier, didn't I? Anyways, I made a ton of food. Do you want to eat with us?"

"I would love to." Masamune said, smiling. He ignored Ritsu's glare and walked inside.

Ritsu's blood ran cold. The invitation Marco had sent him for the job in America was on the dining room table!

**~Kyaaa!~ I know it's starting kind of slow! Please just be patient. **

**Hey, are there any fanboys out there? **

**Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**~Kyaaa!~ Thank you guys for all of your nice reviews. Many of you wished me well and that means a lot. It's hard sometimes. There just aren't many good friends in my town. I do have friends, but I don't really like my school much. Everyone is so snobby. Anyways, here's chapter 2! **

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu's mind was reeling. Toka was finishing up the cooking and he and Masamune were in the living room. Every time Ritsu tried to go into the kitchen, Toka sent him back. The envelope on the table mocked him. If…if Masamune saw it…

_NO! I won't let him!_

_Why do you still have it?_

_It's a good opportunity—_

_No it isn't! You'll have to leave and tart over!_

_But the whole reason I left was to prove myself!_

_Are you really planning on returning?_

_I-I don't know anymore…_

_You'd better decide quick, because if you leave him when it gets too deep, it'll destroy you both._

"—Ritsu?"

"What? S-sorry uncle Toka. I wasn't listening."

"I asked if you were alright. Your face looked like you were in a lot of pain."

"Ah, no! I'm f-fine!" He noticed that Masamune was watching him with concern too.

"Okay… Anyways, dinner is done! I made fettucine-alfredo!"

"What's that?" Masamune asked.

"Oh, it's an Italian dish. It's pasta, chicken, and broccoli covered in a creamy sauce." Masamune looked a bit reluctant.

"It's really good!" Ritsu added. Masamune glanced at Ritsu and nodded. If Ritsu said so, he'd at least try it. Toka's smile widened.

"I also made that blue Kool-aid that you like so much! You should have seen it! When he was little, he'd run around with his sippy-cup singing silly little songs! Sometimes, he'd even do it naked!"

"UNCLE TOKA!" Ritsu yelled, covering his mouth. Ritsu was beet-red. Masamune laughed.

"It's a pity he doesn't still do that." Said Masamune with a smirk. Ritsu elbowed him, but Toka didn't seem to notice.

"You wanna see some pictures?"

"Oh yes. I would **love** to see pictures." He said, earning a death glare from Ritsu. Toka clapped happily and went back to retrieve the scrapbook he had. Ritsu groaned. But suddenly he knew he had his chance. He darted into the dining area and grabbed his envelope off the table. He didn't know where to put it, so he shoved into the cup cabinet. He darted back into the living room before Toka got back and Masamune frowned.

"What were you doing?"

"Uh, I was just making sure the food wasn't burning!"

"Oh. Okay then…" He didn't look convinced, but he wasn't sure if Ritsu was lying. What did he have to lie about?

"Okay, I got the scrapbook!" It was an old-looking book. The cover was worn-out and grey with age. Masamune supposed it had been a shiny black once-upon-a-time, but now it looked like it had character. Toka smiled lovingly at it and opened it up to the first page. There was a picture of a newborn baby, and it was in his spitting-image. The baby was cute and still had pink skin. It had little grey eyes and a small tuft of black hair. It was very cute.

"This was Nonagaru when he was first born. And this—er, sorry, you'd probably like to see pictures of Ritsu, huh?" Masamune's eyes softened a little bit. _So this is the guy who lost his son…_ He was going to protest that he didn't mind looking at the pictures, but he noticed that Ritsu's eyes were beginning to shimmer. Toka flipped a few pages, and stopped on one of baby-Ritsu. He was ADORABLE! He had cute little dimples that were blush-pink and one of his eyes was closed in a wink. As he turned the pages, Masamune was getting more and more dazed at Ritsu's cuteness.

"These next few are my favorites. Ishikaru came into our lived when he was six, but I didn't marry his mother until he was ten." He pointed to a picture of three mischievous-looking six-year olds. They were very cute. They were all dressed in little swim-trunks and water-wings and holding hands. It looked like they were about to jump into the pool.

"Haha, I love that one because Nonagaru and Ishikaru acted like they were going to jump, but they let go of Ritsu's hands. Poor Ritsu almost cried. Then they jumped in after him and cheered him up. It was so sweet!" Masamune noticed a cute little grl in the background of the pool picture. She was kind of pale, she had long black hair, and her eyes were a beautiful golden color. He waited for Toka to say who she was, but instead he skipped to a few pages ahead.

"Now this one is definitely my favorite!" He smiled and pointed to another picture. It was of Ritsu, Ishikaru, and Nonagaru, covered in mud and holding hands. They were all laughing, oblivious to the girl behind them, holding a bucket of water above their heads. It was the same girl from the pool, she had a devilish grin, captured just as she was pouring the water upon them. Toka suddenly closed the book.

"Okay, I think the food's done!" They walked in and sat down. They actually enjoyed the conversation. It wasn't like normal forced small talk that you usually do with people. Toka was a very kind man, and he was easy to get along with. Masamune actually didn't mind the man's company. He was also one hell of a cook. The pasta stuff (he'd forgotten the name) was pretty good. It was also fun to watch Ritsu blush every time he told a story. For some reason, the image of that girl stuck in his mind.

"Excuse me, but who was the little girl in the pictures with them?" Ritsu winced, and Toka sighed.

"That was Tokoshi Arika. She…she was the, um… She's a friend of the family…" Ritsu answered.

_**Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiii—**_

"Hello?...Yeah… It was good to talk to you!...Are you sure?...Okay.." Toka hung up.

"Who was that?"

"Ishikaru. He wanted me to stay with him, if you don't mind."

"Of course not! You can drop by any time!"

"Okay, just let me get my stuff." He packed his things and walked to Ishikaru's apartment.

Ritsu sighed and washed the dishes. He turned around and ran into Masamune's waiting arms. He pulled Ritsu into a kiss, and Ritsu let him, kissing back. When they pulled apart, Ritsu recognized the look in Masamune's eyes. He was in for a long night…

**~Kyaaa!~ I'm super pissed off because I have to run the mile tomorrow! I am always sick when we have fitness testing! It's not fair… Anyways, I realized that I accidentally may have made this chapter a bit fast-paced. Sorry.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**~Kyaa!~ Hey, I don't know when I will update again. I'm with my sis in the hospital. (Er, well, I'm home grabbing some clothes right now) So I just wanted to tell you that. **

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu hissed in pain when he woke up the next morning. Masamune heard him, and kissed the back of his neck. He repeated this action, several more times.

"No more. I thought I was going to die!"

"Mmm, that good, huh?"

"Sh-shut up! N-no! Hey! Stop kissing my neck! That's part of what started this!"

"I can't help it. When I know I can't touch you, it only makes me want you more…"

"Baka! That's—"

"You wanted it too. Besides, this also gives us the time to talk." Uh-oh. Why did he sound like that?

"A-about what?" Ritsu asked, turning over to face his lover.

"Why you keep avoiding me."

"I-I'm not!"

"You are. If you don't want to move in with me, then just say so." Ritsu struggled for words. He had a hard enough time explaining this to himself. How was he supposed to tell Masamune? To his surprise, Masamune started to let him go. He suddenly felt the need to be held, so he snuggled closer to him. Masamune raised an eyebrow, but allowed him to snuggle in closer. He almost smiled when he saw the brief distressed look flash across Ritsu's face when he let go.

"I-it's not that I d-don't want to live with you… It's just…"

"Yes?"

"This is all so weird. Five months ago, I thought I hated you. Now we're…_this._ It just seems a bit too fast, compared to a normal relationship… But we were never normal. This feels right, even though I know it shouldn't. But I… I also really need time to think about this, and so do you. Maybe I'm not as easy to live with as you think."

"Ritsu… It wouldn't really be that different. I come to your apartment, or you come to mine almost every day. I know you've been panicking about us fighting, but maybe this could be good… I mean, it would make it easier to have make-up sex if you were closer—"

Ritsu flicked him on the nose. Masamune growled softly at him and went on,

"I was kidding. Though I do like the idea of sex again—hey! Come back here!" He said, pulling Ritsu back to him. "I didn't mean right now. I was thinking that if we were in the same home, we could make up easier. I could see when you're upset, and we could talk," _And nobody else would need to comfort you._ "It may be strange, but it's what 'normal' couples do too…"

"I…I'll think about it. I said I'd try to make this work, and I will. Like I said, it feels kind of right, but I think we should think more about it…"

"Ritsu.."

"What?"

"It doesn't have to be all at once. You could start with a few pairs of pants, some shirts, a toothbrush… You get the idea. I waited for you for ten years, eleven months, and seventeen days. I think I can wait until the end of this month to hear your answer." _He's only giving me…three weeks? I…I can do this. I know I can. I just need to be cautious.. _

Meanwhile, Masamune was thinking something different. _What if I was moving too fast? Why did I give him the rest of the month? The suspense is going to kill me! I know I told him not to worry, but what if we did have a really bad fight? What would we do? Actually, maybe we should buy an apartment together, a bigger one…_

"O-okay. I.. I'll have your answer by then. I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"Not knowing. I just want to do this right." Masamune kissed his forehead softly.

"I know." Ritsu kissed Masamune lightly on the lips, but then he pulled back and blushed. Masamune was shocked. It always shocked and amazed him the Ritsu could arouse him so much with simple things he did.

"Th-thank you for understanding…"

"Oh no, thank _you_."

"For what?"

"_Understanding."_

Suddenly Ritsu felt himself being crushed against Masamune's warm mouth. It wasn't at all innocent like his had been, but this one had a different message. It said, 'Okay, I gave you a chance, now we get to fuck again.' Well, it was sweeter than that, but that's what I basically meant.

**Lemon~**

"Mmm….oh…Ritsu, you're getting so good at this…." Masamune groaned as his lover's tongue swirled up and down his hot shaft. This was only the second time he'd done this, but he was a bit more confident this time. He blushed at Masamune's praise and engulfed his whole member into his hot mouth, making Masamune cry out. He began to bob his head quickly, and was pleased when Masamune bucked his hips slightly. Masamune felt his climax building up, so he reached down and grabbed Ritsu's own hard member and began to pump. Ritsu moaned around him, and the vibrations caused Masamune to moan again. Ritsu felt himself almost reach his pinnacle, so he began to bob his head faster.

"Mmm….Oh…_Ritsu_….I'm cumming!" Masamune groaned in ecstasy as he released into Ritsu's mouth. The feeling of his lover's release made him reach his own pinnacle, and Ritsu came into Masamune's hand. They both panted heavily, but crushed their lips together anyways. Masamune licked the drops that were on the corners of Ritsu's mouth.

"Huh. You actually made me cum first. You'll have to pay for that…" He purred in Ritsu's ear.

Masamune pulled him closer, cupping his ass. Ritsu wrapped his arms around Masamune and deepened the kiss. Feeling his lover this close and eager, Masamune's member was already hardening again. So was Ritsu's. Masamune broke the kiss, and began to bite and kiss Ritsu's neck. Ritsu didn't even protest, not only because he was moaning too much, but because he knew Masmune was going to 'mark' him anyways. Masamune was always fascinated by the sounds and reactions Ritsu made whenever they made love. While Ritsu was shuddering and moaning, Masamune reached his hand around and began to prepare him. Ritsu was still a little sore from the earlier rounds, but it felt so good! Before the second finger was even added, he cried out,

"P-please! I n-need you t-to p-put it in!" before he could stop himself. He immediately blushed, but Masamune was already as turned on as he could get. Masamune positioned himself at Ritsu's entrance, teasing them both as he entered slowly. Ritsu couldn't take it, so he slammed down, impaling himself all the way on Masamune's hard cock.

"Ah!"

"Ritsu!" Masamune grunted. Ritsu was so tight! After all of this time, you'd think he would have loosened a little, or Masamune would be tired of this same feeling, but it never ceased to amaze him. This was better than any 'fuck'. This was love. Masamune waited a second, allowing him to adjust, before he began to thrust slowly. He pulled back, almost all the way out, and slammed back in. He repeated this action, loving the way that Ritsu's head flew back and he cried out in pleasure. Masamune began to thrust faster.

"Ah! Oh!...Ah!...AH! Mmm…Nnnngh!...H-harder!"

Masamune pounded in harder. He loved it when Ritsu was uncharacteristically bold.

"Oh-oh-oh! Nnnngh!...Mmm….haaa…."

Masamune felt himself getting close, and reached to pump Ritsu's neglected member. He stroker vigorously, working to make sure Ritsu cam first this time. He didn't have to wait long. Ritsu came onto their stomachs and sheets.

"_Ahhh! M-Masamune, I'm cumming!"_ Ritsu's cry, combined with his ring of muscles tightening around his member, caused him to cum deep inside of his lover.

"_Ritsu" _

_**End of Lemon~ **_

He pulled out, collapsing next to Ritsu, hugging him close. They panted, kissing between breathes.

"I love you, Ritsu."

"I…I love you too… And maybe… maybe I'll bring over some clothes later—mmph!" Masamune kissed him. He was happy that Ritsu was going to try for him. _For me and only me… _

**~Kyaaa!~ I don't know if that was any good. It's hard to write spay scenes because neither one of their personalities is very sappy. **

**If it's no good, ask and I will re-write it. I'm considering skipping this fic. I need to know if anyone really likes it at all… **

**Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**~Kyaaa!~ Wow. I got so many comments (and threats) saying I should continue! So I will! I wasn't in the hospital for me. I was there for my sister that has Spina Bifida. She's had about 53 surgeries and she was going to have another one. My parents couldn't be there, and my other sisters didn't care, so I was the only one who could go see her. I stayed the night with her, but the doctors said she didn't need the surgery, thank God. If you don't know what that is, it's a birth defect that causes your spine to be deformed and can cause organs to mess up, and neuro problems as well. She is about twenty three and may only have a few more years left… **

**Thank you for your **_**support**_**. It means a lot. **

**I'm going to a Skillet concert today. My mom got me tickets for Christmas. I like them okay, but I'd rather go to a different one. But I'm happy to go. **

**Disclaimer~ **

"_How could you do this to me? To us?" Masamune shouted, waving the job offer envelope. _

"_I-I wasn't, I mean—"_

"_I don't want to hear your stupid excuses!"_

"_B-but I—"_

"_No. You know what? It doesn't even matter. Go. Leave. I don't care. It was fun while it lasted. Maybe I'll try this game with another ex of mine!"_

"_G-game?"_

"_Yes. It's a game. I made you fall for me. I know you did. And maybe I was starting to fall for you too, but now it doesn't matter. You're just a coward. We're through. Get out of my sight!"_

"_B-but I didn't mean—I'Im sorry!" Masamune sneered cruelly at his tears. _

"_Sorry? Well, you should have thought about that sooner. C'mon, Yokozawa." He said, putting his arm around Yokozawa's neck. Masamune sneered again and kissed him._

"_W-why are you doing this? I-I love you!"_

"_Love, eh? Well, then—" __**BEEEP BEEEEP BEEEP **_

Ritsu awoke with a start. He didn't remember setting his alarm and went to press snooze, but Maasamune had probably moved it out of reach. He felt a drop on his leg and realized he had been crying in his sleep. He quickly wiped his tears and got out of bed.

Ritsu walked into the kitchen and sat down. He was going to make breakfast, but Masamune already did. He also got Ritsu up on time. He smiled at that. He usually pressed the snooze button too many times. His smile grew when he realized that Masamune was cooking an American style breakfast of eggs and bacon. He loved American breakfast.

"What are you smiling for?"

"N-nothing. I was just thinking about stuff."

"Well, stop daydreaming and eat! We're going to be late!" _Typical…_

"Okay. Hey…um, can I ask you something?"

"You just did." He glared at Masamune. "Fine, go ahead."

"Have….have you ever been to America?" Masamune looked surprised, but he answered.

"I haven't. I do know English though. I took it in college in case I would ever have to make a deal with our American departments. Why?"

"N-no reason…" He didn't even know why he'd asked that. Masamune looked at him funny, but then reached for the cup cabinet.

"No!" Ritsu shouted, remembering that he'd left the job offer in that cabinet. He shivered at the memory of his dream where Masamune had waved it in his face and broke up with him. Masamune continued to open the cabinet, but he was looking at Ritsu.

"What's wrong?" He asked, confused. He grabbed two cups without looking and shut the cabinet. Those two cups had been sitting on the envelope! That was too close. He realized that Masamune was still waiting for an answer.

"I-I, uh,… I could have gotten them, I mean you cooked after all…"

"Are you stupid? I… Sorry… I already got them, so it's fine." Ritsu was confused about him apologizing and he realized that Masamune had called him stupid. The last time he did that… It was the day they fought and Ritsu had run away.

"I'll get the juice, then…" Ritsu got out some orange juice and Masamune snickered.

"What?"

"I thought we were going to drink coffee. I didn't know you still liked juice."

"Well, I do." He blushed and poured himself some juice. "Do you want this, or coffee?"

"Hm, I'll have the juice. If you like it, I want to know what's so good about it."

"You've never had orange juice?"

"No. My mother is allergic to citrus, so we never drank it. I just never bought any after I moved out. Habit, I guess…" Ritsu handed him his own cup.

"Here, try it from mine first." Masamune grinned.

"What now?"

"Haha, indirect kiss."

"Dammit! Besides, how does that matter? We kiss 'directly' all the time."

"Yeah, but I just like any type of kissing that involves you." Ritsu blushed cutely and looked away. Masamune brought the glass to his lips and took a small drink. It was good, but now he wanted something else. He handed the glass back to Ritsu and watched him take a drink. Right when the glass was back on the table, he pulled Ritsu into a kiss.

"Mmmph!" He struggled for a second, but then he kissed back. When Masamune pulled back, he asked,

"Why did you do that?"

"The juice was okay, but it was missing something…."

"What does that have to do with kissing me?"

"I liked it better on your lips."

"Pervert."

"You liked it too."

"…."

"Thought so."

"Sh-shut up. You should go back to your apartment and change."

"Well, then…." Ritsu didn't know why, but that comment made his stomach churn. It was the same one as in his dream when Masamune had been turning to leave as well… But it wasn't said in a snarky/evil way, and he definitely wasn't leaving with Yokozawa. He had no clue why he did it, but he did.

Masamune was turning to leave, but he felt a small tug on the back of his shirt. He turned around to see what was wrong, but before he could talk, Ritsu's lips were against his own. Ritsu stepped closer, wrapping his arms around his neck and Masamune quickly picked him up so they could kiss better. When they broke apart, Masamune panted,

"What…was that for?" Ritsu's face was now completely red. He couldn't believe he did that!

"I-I, um, that was a… goodbye kiss?" Masamune smirked

"Well then…_goodbye."_ He said, initiating another kiss.

8888

"We're going to be late."

"Stupid Masamune! It's your own fault!"

"No, it's yours. You kissed me first."

"Th-that was just—"

"And you were the one who spread his legs."

"You made me!"

"And you loved every minute of it."

"…I'm surprised I can even walk right now…."

**~Kyaa!~ Okay, I gotta go shower, so I cut it short. It seemed filler-ish to me, but it had to be. This sets some future ideas in motion…**

**Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**~Kyaaaa!~ Thanks for your sweet reviews! Today's my daddy's birthday! I forgot… But it's not my fault! I woke up too disoriented to remember doing anything. It wasn't from the concert or anything, I was just sick. I was sick yesterday too, but I had a ticket for my friend and if I hadn't gone, her parents wouldn't have let her. I would have felt bad, so I went. It was fun, but I got really sick afterwards. Anyways, I have too many ideas for this fic, so I'm just going to go with the one currently in my mind as I'm watching Kung-Fu Panda. Don't judge me, I freaking love cartoons. I don't care how old I am. **

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu glanced at the clock. Just like he'd been doing every five minutes since he got the call that said Kano was ready to see him. He was going at 4:00 and it was 3:35. He was debating on whether to tell Masamune or not. He really didn't want to worry him, and it really looked like he was already swamped with work. He sighed. He had to go have a quick meeting with Isaka to see who would be coming with him since he wasn't allowed to go alone anymore.

"Onodera-san?" He nearly fell out of his chair (again) when he heard Asahina call his name. Masamune glance up at them curiously, but went back to yelling at his mangaka over the phone.

"Coming!" He straightened up his papers and quickly organized his desk so he could follow Asahina. They didn't talk much, but Asahina didn't say much anyways. When they stepped out of the elevator, he felt a brief shot of pain in his leg. It was still sensitive sometimes. His hand was better though.

Isaka was sitting at his desk, looking bored.

"Ah, Onodera! I have a surprise for you~!" He said in a creepy sing-song voice. Asahina rolled his eyes and muttered about having a 'surprise for him, too'. Isaka blushed horribly and Ritsu just looked uncomfortable. Isaka recovered quickly.

"A-as I was saying, I have a surprise for you. Don't worry, you'll like it. But first, we have to finish some paperwork really quick saying that you agree to the terms and fill out a time-card so we know 'when you're gone' and 'what time you leave and come back'. Oh, and if…anything happens…" He trailed off. Ritsu nodded and set to filling out all of the paperwork. He was glad he could get some more work done, but he was even happier that he could go see his friends.

"Okay, all done, sir. Um, who am I going with?" Isaka grinned devilishly. Uh-oh.

"That is the surprise." He motioned towards the now-opening door.

"Hey, Ritsu-chan!"

"…..Sir, I officially hate you….."

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Masamune finally got his half-assed mangaka to finish her storyboard, but now he had to go re-run the copies for his other one. The first time they went through, the toner had messed up and now all of the papers had to be redone. He glanced at Ritsu's seat again, but Ritsu was still gone. _I wonder what Isaka wanted with him…_

He heard the elevator ding and Ritsu's voice. It was talking furiously at another voice he didn't recognize. When Ritsu walked in, he was followed by an insanely beautiful girl. She was Ritsu's height with pale porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, and an air of confidance. She was wearing a tight black corset with a black tutu. She had lace and a tight black necklace around her pale neck. She was beautiful in all her gothic glory. When she looked up, Masamune could see her golden eyes. He instantly recognized her from her photos. As they came closer, he noticed that she was wearing knee-high black combat boots.

"—you shouldn't be here, Arika!"

"But I want to! And your dad is the one who got me this part-time job!"

"We'll talk more later. We shouldn't disturb my co-workers."

"_Our co-workers." _She corrected smugly.

"How does this even happen? First Ishikaru, then uncle Toka, and now you!"

"You're just lucky, I guess…"

"Just… don't touch anything. I'll grab my stuff and then we'll be going." _Going? Going where?_ He gathered his stuff.

"Ri-chan, who's this?" Kisa piped up.

"This is Ari-chan. She's an old friend of the family. She just started working here part time because—er, I'm going to show her around and introduce her to my mangaka…"

"Nice to meet you guys!" She bowed slightly and Kisa smiled.

"Oi, Onodera, I'll walk to the lobby with you guys. I have to go to the printers anyways."

"Ritsu-chan, who's that?"

"Oh, that's Takano-san, my boss."

"Our boss."

"…."

Masamune grabbed the papers he needed and walked with them to the elevator. The ride mostly consisted of Ari singing and humming American songs.

"Hey, Takano-san, are you married?"

"Huh?"

"Do you have a wife or girlfriend?" He glanced at Ritsu.

"…."

"If you don't answer, I might think you were homo…." Ritsu blushed and snickered a little bit. Masamune smirked.

"And if I am?"

"I-I, um, that-that's okay. You just…I dunno, the way some editors were staring at you and Ritsu made me think maybe you guys were players or something…"

"No, I'm completely monogamous."

"Oh, okay. What about you, Ri-chan?"

"Yes Onodera, what about you?"

"I-I am too…."

"Mm, are you two together?"

"W-what?" Ritsu squeaked.

"Yes." Masamune answered calmly.

"Aww, so cute~! She cooed.

"I thought you were against—"

"No, that's my dad and my sister. Don't get us mixed up." She snapped. "As long as you're happy, I don't care."

The rest of the ride was silent. After Masamune got off on his floor, Ritsu spoke again, this time it was a barely audible whisper.

"Are…are you going to tell my family?"

"No…Unless you want me to?"

"N-no. I think I will….later…maybe…."

"If you want, I could go with you and be your support…" She looked at him earnestly, her golden eyes shone with concern.

"Why are you…. being so…so… Well, like this. I mean, you're nice and all, but—"

"It's because of what you've done for me and my family. Ritsu, you saved my life."

"I-I don't think—"

"Here's our floor!" She said cheerfully. He knew it was a sign that she needed to change the subject. He told her a bit about Kanoba and his siblings. She already knew about his condition, so they just talked about normal things. It seemed like only a short time had passed by the time they reached the house.

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Kano was excited to see them, but wary. He hugged Ritsu, but not with as much enthusiasm as he usually did. Ari smiled at him and he hugged her as well. She made a face, but then she smiled a small smile. She wasn't used to getting hugged. She smiled at his stuffed animal collection.

"I love stuffed animals too!"

"Really?" He perked up.

"Yeah! Wolves are my favorite!"

"Mine too!" He squealed. He dug out many stuffed animals, going throught them and telling their names.

"—and my two favorites are Shika-kun and Ritsuka-kun." He finished, showing her the two wolves. Ari smiled at him. Ritsu cleared his throat.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but we at least have to do some work…"

"Yeah…about that…" He trailed off.

"What?"

"I only have fifteen pages done…."

"Kano! You have to have twenty-three done in two days!"

"I know, but I'm having trouble with this one," He pointed to a paper that had many erase marks. "I can't draw him how I want him. This is after he shifts into a wolf, but I can't get it to be the way I want." He pouted.

"Here, grab another piece of paper." He did, and Ritsu grabbed a pencil and eraser.

"First, you draw a medium sized circle really lightly…." He described in detail how he drew wolves as he showed it to them. By the time he was done, both Ari and Kano had their jaws dropped.

"Ri-chan! I didn't know you could draw like _that!_"

"It's so realistic, yet also in manga-form…" Kano whispered in awe. REitsu blushed.

"I-I'm not that good, really, I—"

"Ritsu, could you draw a wolf fight-scene? I need one for the next page…"

"But you can't use my—"

"Oh, I know. I just need to look at it so I can get an idea. This really helps…"

"Okay, I guess so…" This time, he even colored it in, and added shadowing effects.

He glanced at the clock, thinking they'd only been there for two hours. It said 11:37. He'd been there for over six hours! Masamune was going to be so pissed! He was supposed to bring some of his stuff over today!

"I-I gotta go!"

"Mm, okay, Ritsu-kun…" Kano yawned. Ari had fallen asleep in her chair. Oh shit. He'd forgotted that he still needed to walk her to her hotel. Yep, Masamune was definitely going to kill him!

**~Kyaaa!~ I'm soo tired! Sorry, but I have to go now! I will update as soon as I can! **

**HEY! I HAVE A QUESTION! Okay, I was thinking about later couples, would you guys like to have Arika+Ishikaru, Arika+Shinzo, or Shinzo+ a male nurse that I haven't named yet? **

**Please let me know in a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I can't stop crying as I write this, but my mom is being a psycho-bitch right now. She took away my ipod and phone, and I really need my ipod. I have ADD really bad and it's all that can help me concentrate. Without it, I get head-aches and I feel like crap. I need it. She's also going to take away my laptop, so I can't write for a while. I don't even know how long. I'm so sorry. I don't understand at all why she's doing this. Honestly, I wouldn't care if I did die right now. Nothing could be worse than this. I have a condition that affects my heart, it causes panic-attacks (my heart beats so fast I can't breathe) and that's all that can calm it. I'm not going to be able to sleep until I get it back. I fucking hate my life right now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't rant on here.**

**Review if you even want me to continue**


	7. Chapter 7

**~Kyaaa!~ Okay, I'm not as pissed anymore. I'm still pissed, but not as homicidal. I can use my laptop to do homework, so I'm writing in between finishing assignments. My mom took away my stuff because she mad at me for something my sister did. WTF. So, I get screwed over because my sister (who didn't really do anything) made her mad. Yeah, that makes sense… Anyways, as I said, technically, this was confiscated, so I won't be on much. Thank you for all of your support! **

**Sorry if this chapter is a bit off. It's because I don't have my ipod. **

**Hey, go on Youtube and look up "We ran out of CD space." By Psychostick. My cousin made me listen to it, and now my mind is completely obliterated.**

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu couldn't believe his bad luck. Ari's hotel was in the opposite direction as the apartment complex, and it wasn't very close by at all. She didn't look like she was going to make it. She was swaying slightly, and her eyelids kept drooping.

"You'll never make it back to your hotel in this condition!" Ritsu groaned.

"Mmmm….cannn toooo….."

"No, you can't. Just stay the night at my place."

"Fiiiine, Mr. BossyPants…." But when he was reaching for the door, it was already swinging open.

"HOLY SHIT! I had no idea the weather would be that bad!" Miko complained, soaking wet.

"How bad is it?" He asked worriedly.

"Real bad." Shinzo grunted as he walked in after her. Both Shinzo and Miko had their hair soaking wet and looking wind-blown.

"Damn. I didn't bring an umbrella. Hey—"

"No. Even if you did, we wouldn't let you leave. It's really bad. Nobody is even driving!"

"But I need to leave—"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Said a voice he didn't recognize. A tall man with pale blue eyes and dark sandy-colored hair walked in. He was very handsome with a muscular build. _Not as muscular as Masamune…_ Ritsu thought before he could stop himself. He forced that thought away. He was wearing dark green scrubs, like doctors or nurses wear and had on a lighter green long-sleeved shirt underneath that. Shinzo looked at the man and Ritsu could almost swear he was blushing. _Did I miss something?_ He wondered, confused. The man smiled and extended a hand to him.

"Kazuni Ryoku. I'm Ikimoto-san's day-nurse. You can call me Ryo, if you want." Ritsu shook the man's hand.

"Onodera Ritsu. I'm his editor."

"Oh, you're the one Shin-chan told me about!" _Shin-chan?_ Shinzo blushed scarlet. "You're so brave!"

"I-I, um, I just did what I thought anyone would do…"

"So modest too!" Ritsu blushed a bit, but he decided to drop it.

"Really guys, I need to go now—"

"Dammit, Ritsu! Look outside!" Shinzo demanded, pointing to the window. He looked outside and gasped. The sky was dark and angry-looking. He could see the trees at the park across the street swaying in the harsh winds, and the rain was no small feat either. It was very eerie that no cars were on the road, considering it was in Tokyo.

"I'll be right back." He said, excusing himself. He walked up to Kano's study and opened his phone.

4 missed calls.

All of them were from Masamune. He decided to call him back.

_**Riiiing, riiiiiiing, riiii— **_

"Where the hell are you?"  
>"I'm still at Kano's place, I—"<p>

"Kano's place? What the hell! I thought you were supposed to have someone with you at all times—"

"I do. You remember Ari? She's an intern now. I guess she'll be the one coming with me."

"…."

"Don't scowl."

"How do you…? Nevermind. Anyways, are you coming home soon?"

"I can't. Shinzo, Ryo, and Miko said it was too nasty out for me to walk home."

"Ryo? Who's that?"

"Kano's day-nurse."

"Mm. Okay, well, if it's too bad to walk, I'll come get you—"

"You can't. The roads are bad too." Masamune cursed under his breath.

"I don't care. I'm coming to get you anyways."

"No, you moron! Look outside! Nobody's driving! It'd be too dangerous."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Stay here, I guess. The condo has a few unused rooms…"

"…"

"Again, stop scowling."

"I don't like it when you stay at other people's houses."

"What, you think they'd try to molest me or something?" He snorted. "I highly doubt that. Besides, Kano needed help drawing his storyboard."

"You can't draw his—"

"I know that! He was just using my sketches as a reference!"

"… You didn't draw another 'naughty' picture of yourself, did you?"

"NO! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"Just making sure…" He sounded slightly disappointed. "I wouldn't want anyone else peeping at my adorable Neko, or maybe a maid this time…."

"BAKA! SHUT UP! I would never draw that!" He had a feeling that if Masamune knew it was Ishikaru who drew them, Ishikaru would get a black eye…. Again.

"Fine. Anyways, I'll be coming to get you as soon as the storm is over."

"You don't have to—"

"I want to."

"But Ari—"

"I can drive her to her hotel too."

"…Masamune, can I ask you something?—That didn't count as the question."

"Sure."

"You can't get mad…"

"What is it?"

"Um, I think Ari should stay with me…."

"Absolutely not."

"But—"

"No."

"Masamune… She… she's got a medical problem, and nobody could help her in time if she were in that hotel room…." He felt bad about this. He didn't want to guilt him into saying yes, but he had to. He went on nervously, "A-and, if she were at my apartment, I could stay with you, if you want, so… It would be like a practice-run to see if you could really stand having me around…" He half-joked. He could tell Masamune was thinking.

"Alright. I guess that'd be okay."

"Thanks. Oh, and will you—"

"I already let Rara out right before the storm. She's starting to get fat, you know."

"Thanks, and I know. She is expecting, you know."

"Oh shit, I just thought of something."

"What?"

"What the hell do we do with the puppies?"

"….shit."

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After he was off the phone, he changed into some clothes that Shinzo let him borrow. They were slightly big on him, but other than that, they were comfortable. He decided to sleep in the living room by Ari, in case there was a problem. He felt guilty about telling Masamune because Ari hated it when people felt bad for her or tried to take care of her. She never talked about it. She also never talked about her terrible Night-Terrors….

**Kyaaa! I know that was dull, but keep in mind—I don't have much time to write before she takes it back. **

**Next chapter, you get to see what the sleep-over is like! And what will happen to Ari after Ritsu and her fall asleep? **

**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**~Kyaaaa!~ School was cancelled, so I took this back when my mom left for work! Mwahahaha! Anyways, I found one of the original versions of the ipod, the ipod shuffle; it only holds…I dunno, like 30 maybe more songs. So I filled it with a few to use when I really need it. **

**Night-Terrors = Similar to Nightmares, but are so bad it can blur with reality. Usually people who have them can wake up screaming in the night. They are often caused by traumatic events, but not always.**

**I have Night-Terrors sometimes… **

**Disclaimer~ Meh, Laziness~ **

Ritsu woke up around 4:30. He sighed. He had to get up in three hours, but he didn't feel like he could go back to sleep. He looked at the other couch. Ari was sleeping peacefully in a dark purple tank-top and light blue pants that went to her ankles. Ritsu half-smiled and pulled the blanket that she'd kicked off back over her body. He jumped when he heard thuner in the background, and the room lit up with light from the lightning. He was surprised it didn't wake anyone up. He fumbled for his phone to see what time it was. He was surprised to see that it had a text message from Isaka on it.

**FWD FWD FWD **

**Due to Weather conditions, employees are allowed to come in 2 hours late, but if it's still storming, then they get the day off. **

**FWD FWD FWD **

He sighed. He hadn't seen such a bad storm in a long while. He hoped Masamune was okay and he was taking care of Rara and Sorata both. _Of course he is. Man, I wonder when it will lighten up…_ He decided to get a drink of water from the kitchen. He walked in and turned on the lights, wincing at the brightness. He turned the dimmer switch so it wouldn't be as bright. He smiled at all of the drawings that were on the refrigerator. There were puppies, kittens, wolves, rainbows, different Disney characters, and pictures of him, Shinzo, and Miko. He noticed a new one that made his smile grow. There was one of Ari. She was smiling and there were stars around her face. Her black hair was tied back, but some loose strands were in her face, and there was a light blush on her face. _That's cute…. I guess they would make a good couple…_

**Whimper~** He nearly jumped out of his skin. He heard small whimpers coming from the living room. They turned into half sob-half muffled screams. He rushed in there to see Ari thrashing and her mouth was open in a silent scream of terror. Her eyes were still closed.

"Ari? Ari, wake up! It's not real! I'm here, shhh, you'll be okay, shhh…" He trailed off, seeing her thrash worse. Her eyes slightly opened, but she wasn't really awake yet. She started to panic and struck out, hitting him in the jaw and causing him to fall back and hit his jaw on the coffee table. He ignored the taste of blood and leaned forward and grabbed her, pulling her close and rocking her slightly. Her sobs died down gradually as she woke up. She gasped at the blood on his chin.

"D-did I…? I'm so sorry!" She began to cry again, burying her face in his chest. He patted her back.

"Shh, it's okay. You didn't mean to. I know, you were just scared…"

"H-he was there, a-and he…he…."

"Shh, you don't have to tell me. I know it's hard to talk about…"

"It's harder knowing that I could talk to you, but Nonagaru is no longer here to help me…" She hiccupped. _Before Nonagaru had gotten sick, she'd always gone to him for comfort. He was the only one that could help her because she loved him so much. I can't help her because I don't lover her in that sense… But I want to try my best. She didn't deserve to have that type of childhood…. And she has other medical problems, but she'll always say she's fine… Oh, Nonagaru, what do I do? _

"Thank you, Ritsu. I think I'm okay now." He gave her a doubtful look, but let her go. She gave him a grateful smile and laid back down. He thought for a second.

"Wait for a second." He ran upstairs to Kano's study, where he knew the wolves sat. He grabbed Ritsuka off the shelf and went back downstairs. He handed it to her.

"I gave that to Kano as a gift, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used it. Maybe it'll help you sleep. When it stops storming, I'll buy you one too. You can even pick it out."

"I….I'd like that…" She yawned and hugged the little wolf close. It smelled like strawberries, cotton-candy, and fresh laundry. Just like Kano. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

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The second time Ritsu woke up, he felt arms around him. He quickly looked up into dark brown velvety eyes, very familiar eyes….Masamune? What the hell? He was still on Kano's couch.

"I got here an hour ago." He said, pulling Ritsu up into a kiss.

"Why would you? It's still storming…"

"I know. But I was worried about you…." Ritsu blushed.

"B-baka!" Masamune chuckled. "Hey, if you're here, then where's Rara? Masamune! Did you leave her alone? She could have her puppies at any time!" Masamune feigned a hurt look.

"You care about that dog more than me…" He teased. Ritsu didn't realize he was teasing him, so he got flustered.

"N-no I d-don't! I…I j-just…sh-she's just—" Masamune put a finger to his lips.

"I know, idiot. I was teasing you."

"I-I knew that!" Masamune rolled his eyes again. He kissed Ritsu lightly on the lips, but Ritsu pushed him back a little bit. Masamune growled softly and pulled him back. Before he could kiss him though, Ritsu put his hand over his mouth.

"We're in someone else's house!"

"So?"

"_So? _That's not—mmph!" He kissed him anyways. They heard squealing and turned and saw Miko and Ari watching them.

"Y-you perverts!"

"Haha, well, this is _my _house anyways. I don't mind if you kiss or whatever." Miko giggled. Ari smirked.

"Oh, how cute! Ritsu's got a boyfriend, Ritsu's got a boyfriend!" She sang happily. Ritsu blushed and yelled,

"H-hey, that-that's not… I mean… D-don't—"

"Pfft, you like it!"

"Ugh, can't you go annoy someone else?" He complained.

"Noooo, I like her!" Kano whined from beside the stairs. "Anyways, have you seen Ritsuka-kun? Oh! You found him! Thanks, Ari-chan!" He squealed and hugged her. She blushed at him, and he blushed back. Masamune quirked an eyebrow in amusement. Miko cooed happily. She couldn't believe it! Someone good for her brother had finally shown up! Both of her brothers, she corrected herself. Ryo seemed like a good catch too.

**CRAAAAAASH!**

Ritsu jumped at the sound of the thunder, and Masamune chuckled.

"Hey!"

"What do you want me to do? I can't stop a thunderstorm. But I can hold you…" He grinned, reaching for him. Ritsu jumped back.

"Nope! Kano and I have to finish the last two pages in his storyboard."

"Aw, but I wanna play with Ari some more!" He pouted.

"Well, I'm supposed to be his assistant, so I think you should work first. Then we can play."

"Okay…" He said, defeated.

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Kano huffed in frustration. He just couldn't get it right! The protagonist was in her half-wolf form, confessing to the guy she loved, but he couldn't make it look dramatic enough while at the same time as having the wolfish features.

"What's wrong, Kano-kun?" Ari asked.

"I can't make the scene the way I want it! Do you know how to draw?"

"Sorry, the only things I can draw are guns and stick-figures…"

"Darn….. Hey, can you go get Ritsu? I think he's in the kitchen with Takano-san."

"Sure. Be right back." She went down the stairs and to the kitchen. To her surprise, Masamune was on the couch, talking to Ryo. Ritsu was the only one in the kitchen. He was on the phone.

"I-I'm just not sure I can-what?...Oh….Well, Maybe…It's just not….Okay, I'll see you in America in two weeks."

_America? What? He's leaving? But…what about his job? What about his family? What about his boyfriend? What about… me? He-he's the only one who knows….._

She started to hyperventilate. No, this couldn't be happening! She would be alone again! Uncle Toka would definitely make me go stay in the hospital! _Does Takano know? If…if I tell him, would Ritsu stay? Or…would he hate me?_

She shoved those thoughts aside and went into the kitchen after he hung up the phone.

"H-hey, K-Kano needs help on this one page…."

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Masamune watched in fascination as Ritsu drew the scene. His fingers seemed to dance across the page gracefully as he held the pencil to the paper. The way it was drawn erased all doubts he had about Ritsu drawing those pictures. He just didn't get why Ritsu was still so shy if he could do that. He liked the way Ritsu's face looked when he was drawing. It looked serene, yet concentrated at the same time. He was almost sorry when he was done.

Ritsu noticed Rara sitting in the corner of the study. _Oh, so he did take care of her…_ He was about to give Kano his picture, but Sorata jumped up on the desk and laid right on his hands. Masamune chuckled.

"She does the same thing when I type on my laptop." He watched as Ari went to lift her up. Ari froze when she had the cat in her arms. She held her a bit farther out and looked at her with a worried expression.

"Is there something wrong with my cat?" Masamune asked worriedly.

"Well….I wouldn't say something was really _wrong with her_… She… She's just… pregnant…"

"No way. She's almost eleven years old!" He snorted at her. She glared at him.

"Oh, and I suppose you've had three and a half years of veterinary school?"

"…No…"

"That's what I thought."

"Wait, if you went to vet school, why are you an assistant at a publishing company?"

"Because." He dropped it, knowing she wouldn't answer.

"Ritsu, you're whore dog's influence rubbed off on my cat…"

"She—"

"Rara-chan's pregnant?" Kano clapped his hands and squealed. "I want a puppy!"

Ritsu looked at Miko. She nodded.

"Okay, when she has her pups, you can have the pick of the litter."

"Yay! Can I have a kitten, too?" He turned to Masamune.

Shinzo huffed in annoyance, but Miko nodded anyways.

"Sure." Masamune said, indifferent. He was a bit shocked that his cat was pregnant. He didn't know of anyone else having a cat in the building… Wait, was that the reason Yokozawa gave her back to him? He was so going to get revenge on him.

When it was night again, the storm was still raging. Miko said they could stay there again, and he was reluctant to agree. With so many people in the house, and Ritsu's loud moaning… He didn't think sex was a good idea…. _Oh well. I don't care._ He grinned devilishly and grabbed Ritsu's hand so he could lead him to a guest bedroom.

**~Kyaaa!~ Okay, I'm trying to be a suck-up, so I raised my grades a bit. I think she's wearing down! But I still don't have my ipod back, and my head hurts now. There shall be a lemon in the next chapter, so rejoice! I also just threw up, so…yeah… **

**Please Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**~Kyaaa!~ Hey, it's me! Okay, since it's the weekend, I can take my laptop while my mom's at work. I win! But she still has my ipod in her purse…. I just saw "One for the Money" in theaters, and it was great. Now I wanna read the book! But the copy my sister has is too small for me to see… I suppose I could have the association thingy order a big-print one… I dunno, I think I may just use a magnifying-glass that I have. It's actually really cool. **

**Okay, you have no idea what those comments mean to me. I was having a bad day, but they made me so happy! Okay, but some of them made me re-think the way this fic in particular was going to end. I seriously think some of you would slit my throat while I was sleeping, so I decided to change it a bit.**

**Disclaimer~ **

Masamune sulked on the couch. Before they could reach the stairs, Miko stopped them and asked if they wanted to watch a movie, and Ritsu agreed. He grumbled in disappointment, and Ritsu rolled his eyes. They were watching a movie that Ari had picked out. Well, it was actually her second choice because Ritsu scolded her on the gory movie she had picked out. She knew it wasn't Ritsu that got queasy from guts and gore from the way Shinzo shot him a grateful look. Ryo looked a bit jealous. She briefly wondered if they were officially together.

Shinzo was going out of his mind. The storm wasn't yet calm enough for Ryoku and the others to leave. It was so awkward! He tried to push away any feelings he thought he had for Ryo, and he discarded them as just stress-related thoughts. It all started with that drunken night…

**Flashback~ **

_Miko and Kano were out for the night, visiting their home in Hokkaido. Shinzo stayed behind because he was finishing up some paperwork for some patients. Ryo had stayed behind because he had to have Shinzo sign some forms and he was also fixing Kano's laptop. Shinzo tried to ignore the handsome man in the room next to him, and he drank a bit to ease his stress. Ryo made them dinner, and he didn't want to be rude, so they ate together. He hated it. It seemed so natural and easy. He accidentally spilt some coffee on Ryo's pants, and he had to use their shower. Shinzo didn't realize how drunk he really was… _

_He remembered bits and pieces of the night before as he lay in bed next to Ryo. Naked…_

**End of Flashback~ **

Now he couldn't stop blushing every time he saw him. It didn't help that he'd confessed to him right before Miko showed up yesterday. He kept stumbling over his words, but he didn't know what to say.

"_Shinzo-san, I think I'm in love with you…" _The words kept echoing in his mind. But what could he do? He was supposed to be fully focused on work! He didn't have time for a lover! But… The way Ryo looked at him…. He sighed and shook his head. It could never work.

8888

Ritsu sighed. He liked the movie. It was called '_Sherlock Holmes. _Masamune however, was not paying attention at all. He really wanted Ritsu. It didn't help that Ritsu was almost sitting in his lap (even though it was him who pulled Ritsu there in the first place). Ritsu chose to ignore the bulge he could feel in Masamune's pants. That is, until he started to kiss Ritsu's neck, almost making him gasp aloud. He felt Masamune's hand reach around and start to go up his shirt. He smacked Masamune's hand._ Two can play at this game!_ When Masamune had paused in his actions, plotting his next move, Ritsu made his. He reached his hand over the bulge in his hand and circled it, making Masamune shudder. He would not lose! He lightly nibbled Ritsu's ear, grinning when he had to muffle a gasp/moan. Even though he was blushing furiously, he forced his next move. He wrapped his fingers around Masamune's clothed erection, making him gasp. He was so glad there was a blanket on top of them, or things could have been awkward. _Fuck! I can't wait anymore!_ Masamune thought. He picked Ritsu up, blanket and all, and carried him up the stairs bridal style.

He threw Ritsu on the bed, and kissed him passionately. The heat from that single kiss seemed to set Ritsu's skin on fire. Masamune was ravishing his mouth, but he realized something.

"S-stop!"

He pushed Masamune away.

"Why?" He growled.

"B-because! W-we can't!"

"Why not? Don't give me any crap about how we're in someone else's house. I don't care."

"I-it's not that… It… It's just I haven't showere since I got here…"

"I haven't either."

"That's because you've only been here one day!"

"Oh well. I don't care—"

"B-but I do!"

"Then we'll just have to take one together."

"Th-then it's just going to be a shower! I'm drawing the line at shower sex in someone else's bathroom!" Masamune grinned.

"But not in your own? I'll keep that in mind…"

"That's not what I meant!"

"But we've already done it there before…"

"Keep it up, and you get no sex at all!" Masamune paled. Ritsu sighed. He knew no matter what he said that Masamune would follow him, so he grabbed two towels.

Undressing was kind of embarrassing for Ritsu. Masamune just watched him, utterly captivated. Ritsu undressed quickly and stepped in, shutting the shower curtain behind him. Masamune chuckled, wondering how he could still be so shy after almost five months of being together. But then again, he loved his adorable blushing Ritsu. He stripped off his own clothes and stepped in after him.

The water was warm, and the water felt nice. Masamune stayed true to his word and didn't fuck him senseless in the shower. He just decided that they could get to it faster if he washed Ritsu himself. Ritsu squeaked in protest at first, but Masamune's soapy hands felt good rubbing his chest and back. They also felt nice running through his hair with the shampoo. Despite his embarrassment, he smiled. Masamune continued to massage him with soapy hands. Man, was it hard not to do anything! He was dying! He rinsed Ritsu off, and made sure he was thoroughly dried off (paying special attention to his groin, but Ritsu let it slide). Ritsu felt warmth spread in his chest, and before he lost his newfound courage, he turned around and pecked Masamune on the lips sweetly.

"…You know, _you're_ the one who said you didn't want to do it in the bathroom, and then you do _that._ Make up your mind…" He complained.

"Er, sorry. I guess that was my fault…" Masamune growled again, and practically rushed them to the bedroom.

**Lemon~ **

"Oh…oh…ah…Nnnngh!...St-stop…" Ritsu moaned. Masamune paused, taking his mouth off of Ritsu's member.

"Do you really want me to stop?"

"….N-no…." Masamune smiled and went back to running his warm tongue up and down Ritsu's hot shaft, and engulfing him to the hilt.

"Oh! Oh! OH!...Nnnngh!...Mmmm…Haaa…I-I'm c-cumming!" He came into Masamune's welcoming mouth, and shuddered at his first climax of the night. It wouldn't be his last. Masamune pulled Ritsu into a kiss, dominating his mouth. He loved this feeling. While they were kissing, Masamune guided Ritsu's hand to his crouch. He hesitated for only a few seconds, and began to pump him slowly. Masamune moaned. He couldn't wait anymore.

He grabbed Ritsu's hand and pulled it off his now-aching manhood. Ritsu looked up at him, wondering if he'd done something wrong, but Masamune only kissed him again, and reached for his discarded pants that were on the floor. He pulled out a mini bottle of lube, the strawberry scented kind, and slicked himself down. He inserted one finger into Ritsu's entrance, and kissed him to muffle his loud moan.

"Shh, they'll hear us…" Masamune teased. Ritsu blushed furiously and was going to say something, but Masamune inserted a second finger, making scissoring motions. Ritsu started to buck his hips a little bit. A few seconds after the third, Ritsu was ready. Masamune positioned himself at Ritsu's entrance and pushed in slowly, making them moan in unison. Ritsu covered his mouth with his hands once Masamune began to thrust, but he couldn't help crying out a little bit.

"Oh!...Oh!..._Oh, Masamune_!...Mmm….Nnn….Haa…" Ritsu began to meet every thrust. Sensing this was a plea to make him go faster, Masamune began to pick up speed.

"Ah!...Oh…Nnnnngh!...Oh!.." Masamune could sense he was getting close, so he began to pum Ritsu in time with his thrusts.

"Oh!...Nnnngh!...I-I…Ahhh! I'm c—" He cut himself off, biting into the crook of Masamune's neck, just where it met his shoulder. That action caused Masamune to cum too.

"_Ritsu" _He came deep inside, riding out his orgasm.

**End of Lemon~ **

He pulled out, making Ritsu gasp, and laid down beside him. They were both panting, but Masamune pulled him into a kiss anyways.

"You…You know I can't breathe when you do that, right?" Ritsu panted.

"Mm, yeah…" He pulled Ritsu even closer, into a spooning position. Ritsu sighed, content, and snuggled into him.

"I love you, Ritsu."

"Y-yeah… I l-love you too… Listen, I need to tell you something…"

"Mm, what?"

"I got…." But Masamune was already asleep, so he didn't hear the rest of what Ritsu was going to say.

**~Kyaaa~ Okay, so you probably know that if I put in a lemon, nothing really productive happens… but this one actually has significance besides your guys' pleasure! **

**Hey, would you guys like a Ryo+Shinzo lemon later, or should I keep it strictly romance and only save lemons for Masamune and Ritsu? **

**Okay, so if there are any fanboys out there, please review! I want to know because my friend said no boys like this… **

**Please Review! **


	10. Chapter 10

**~Kyaaa!~ Yaaaay! I got many nice reviews. AND DAMN YOU PEOPLE! YOU SPOILED PART OF IT! I guess that's okay though. And yes, 'ImJustLazy' I know you would have slit my throat for the plan I had. I'll probably tell you what it was going to be after I'm completely done with this fic. I'm actually still going to use it, but I changed the last part…. Don't kill me when you read it, but that's not until later chapters. **

**Disclaimer~ Lalala, not saying it! Oh wait, I can get in that much trouble? Bring it on, cops! Oh fine… I don't own it. **

Shinzo cursed himself when he woke up. Ryo stirred slightly beside him, but he stayed asleep. He'd done it again! The very thing he vowed against doing! But it was just too hard to resist! After the movie, everyone went to bed, except Ritsu and Masamune, who 'mysteriously disappeared.' He was kind of glad that his room was on the other side of the house. He doubted Ari and Miko got any sleep because they were in the room right below theirs.

"Shin-chan?" Ryo mumbled. Shinzo tensed. Ryo pulled him closer and kissed his neck. Shinzo nearly melted. _No! _He rolled over to face Ryo and scooted back a bit.

"N-no—"

"Shinzo-san? Is something wrong?" Ryo asked worriedly.

"Th-this shouldn't have happened. I-I mean, you…you're my brother's nurse, and now I'm a doctor-"

"So you think a nurse isn't good enough to be with?" Ryo growled defiantly.

"N-no, it's not that…" He sighed. "I…I need to focus on my studies, and you… you're…well, a distraction…"

"I _distract you?" _

"Y-yeah…"

"Shinzo-san… I don't care."

"W-what?"

"I don't care. I'm going to make you fall for me. I already love you, and I'm sure you could return the feeling—"

"What if I said I was already dating someone else?" he challenged.

"Well, considering the fact you've slept with me twice, I'd say it wasn't a happy relationship. And if you really are, I'd fight for you."

"Don't sound so cocky!"

"Why not? I can assure you that I would be the victor." He whispered, pulling Shinzo back to him.

"B-but—"

"No 'buts'. I want you as my own. Besides, I know you aren't dating anyone because your sister told me." _DAMN YOU, MIKO! _

"Th-then how do you know that I don't have a string of one-night-stands?" He demanded. This time, Ryo growled.

"I guess I'll have to stay the night more often then… I wouldn't want anyone trying to steal my lover."

"You're impossible!"

"Thank you."

"Th-that wasn't a comp—mmph!"

Ryo silenced him with a kiss. He wouldn't let Shinzo go that easily.

8888

Masamune woke up first and decided to tease Ritsu a bit. He was delighted to find out that Ritsu talked in his sleep. _How the hell didn't I already know this before? _

"Mmm….Masamune…" Ritsu sleep-mumbled.

"Yes?"

"…Nnn…no…"

"No what?"

"I…I'm…done…" What the hell? Ritsu was breaking up with him in his dream. Nope. He couldn't have that!

"But why?" He whispered.

"…Mmm…A-already… four rounds…" Masamune chuckled. He wasn't breaking up with him, he was telling him that he didn't want to have another round of sex. This was too good to pass up, so he decided to have some fun.

"Oh, but Ritsu, you had fun, didn't you?" Even in his sleep, Ritsu blushed.

"…Mmm…"

"And you wanted it…"

"Yeah…" Masamune's heart leapt to his throat. Ritsu actually admitted he liked sex!

"And tell me, what would you like now?"

"Well, I'd like you to get out of my face." Ritsu answered hotly. So he was awake now. _Damn. _"Was…was I talking in my sleep?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Masamune decided he'd keep that bit of information to himself. He didn't want him to know and do something to prevent it. It could come in handy one day.

"No reason. I used to when I was younger… Why were you so close to me, anyways?"

"I wanted to wake you up like… _this."_ He said, kissing up Ritsu's neck and to his jaw. He froze when he tasted blood. Had he accidentally hurt Ritsu when he was nipping his jaw last night?

"Did I…?"

"Huh?" He realized his jaw was bleeding. "O-oh. No. That's not from you."

"Then what's it from?"

"I-I hit my jaw on the coffee table last night…" He half-lied. He couldn't tell him about Ari's Night-Terrors. She'd kill him! Or worse…cook for him! Masamune seemed to buy it, which was weird considering he was a horrid liar.

"You know, I'm almost tempted to wrap you in bubble-wrap." He teased, kissing Ritsu's bruise very lightly. "That way, you won't get hurt. Anyways, I kind of hoped it was a hickey, hust like you gave me." He said smugly, pointing to his neck. Ritsu blushed and changed the subject.

"C'mon. We should go downstairs. Miko's making breakfast." Ritsu said. Masamune sighed. He wasn't ready to let him go just yet, but he released him anyways.

"Hey, it sounds like the storm is over."

"Yeah, but today's Sunday, so we don't have to back to work until tomorrow." Ritsu stated.

"Slacker."

"Oh shut up."

"Again, are we forgetting who the boss is here?"

"You're the boss at work, and this isn't work. You have no power over me."

"Oh really?" _Oh shit. I just started round five…_ Ritsu thought as Masamune closed in on him.

8888

Ritsu winced as he walked down the stairs. Masamune seemed to be an exceptionally good mood though. _Gee, wonder why!_ Ari thought sarcastically. She was going to make breakfast, but Miko was already doing it. She would cook for Ritsu tomorrow, she decided. She remembered how he always said he liked her cooking. She smirked at his slight limp. Miko had already told her that she'd heard almost everything. So could Ari. She and Kano had fallen asleep on the floor of the living room, and Kano was lucky he'd fallen asleep during the movie. It was also nice that she woke up in his arms. _He must have accidentally rolled over… _

Kano blushed at Ari. He really liked her. He couldn't resist hugging her close as she slept. It looked like she was having a bad dream, but she seemed to calm down when he hugged her, so he decided to stay like that. He knew how bad dreams could be. Something about this girl whom he'd only met a few days ago made him feel so…so real…so alive… He didn't like it when he saw her watching Ritsu with a smile on her face, but he reminded himself that Ritsu already had a lover. The look in her eyes was more adoration a younger sibling would have for an older brother.

Ritsu sat down and winced. Masamune went to put his arm around him, but after a glare from Ritsu, he thought better of it.

"Rough night, eh Ritsu?" Ari teased. He immediately blushed.

"N-no. W-why?"

"Well, you _were_ pretty loud last night…" Masamune supplied with a smirk.

"Masamune!"

"Don't you mean, 'Oh, Masamune! Please!'?" Miko added. Ritsu smacked his head down on the table and covered it with his hands. Miko and Ari openly laughed, but Masamune only chuckled quietly.

"Oh, by the way, Ari, what really happened to Ritsu's jaw?" _So he knew I was lying… _

She looked caught off guard.

"He, uh, he smacked it on the coffee table. Why?"

"Oh. Just asking."

8888

Breakfast was good. It was traditional Japanese breakfast, but Kano said he wanted pancakes instead. They didn't have mix, but Ritsu knew how to make them. He made both chocolate-chip and blueberry. The weather was mostly better, but the clouds still hung there ominously. Ari felt like going for a run. She didn't like to stay in a house full of people so long. She longed to run around a park.

"Hey, Ritsu!"

"Yeah?"

"Can I go for a run?"

"You don't have to ask me…"

"Can I?"

"…Yes, you can go…" She smiled and hugged him. Masamune and Kano both frowned.

"Miko, do you have any workout clothes I can borrow?"

"Yeah. Third drawer up from the bottom of the dark brown dresser in my room." Ari thanked her and ran over to Miko's room to change.

"Hey Ritsu, can you get me some saltine crackers and a bottle of water?"

"Ari, you just ate like twenty minutes ago!"

"Are you implying that I'm fat?" Uh-oh.

"N-no! I'm getting them now!" He hurried over to the cabinets and grabbed the crackers out. There was already a bottle of water on the table.

"What, I don't get a kiss for helping you?" Masamune huffed.

"Don't push it. I'm still mad at you."

"But why?"

"Really? You wonder why? Did you not see my limp?"

"Ha, yeah…"

"You know what, just because I don't like your smug look, you can't kiss me for the rest of the day." He declared, smug that he could shake him up. Instead, Masamune grinned.

"Challenge accepted." He said, moving closer. Ritsu took a step back, but Masamune was too quick. He picked Ritsu up and went to kiss him, but he put his hands up, blocking his lips. '

"Play nice, you two." Ari scolded, emerging from Miko's room. She was wearing black sports pants that had two white stripes going down the sides and she was wearing a dark periwinkle/blue tank-top. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her golden eyes flashed with amusement. She bounded up to the table gracefully and sighed.

"You can let him go now, Takano-san."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Put me down!" Ritsu started to struggle.

"Aw, Ritsu, you didn't even get the right type of crackers!" She scoleded. She walked over to the cabinets and reached up to grab the right type, when she heard Masamune gasp. _Oh no! _

Masamune gasped and let Ritsu go in shock. All up and down her back were angry-looking scars. Some looked strangely like hand-marks and dog bites.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed before he could stop himself.

"What? You mean _these_?" She snarled, pulling up her tank-top in the back and revealing even more… worse looking ones. "Yeah, go ahead and stare. If you want to know where they're from, they're from my dad. You see, he was a real mean guy…" She went on, viciously.

"Ari—"

"Save it, Ritsu." She snarled at him and ran out the door, forgetting her water-bottle. Ritsu shot Masamune a glare so angry, he **almost** flinched.

"Ritsu, I—"

"Ari! Ari, please! Ari, wait!" Ritsu called, going after her. He was furious at Masamune. Who would be that fucking rude? He pushed his anger aside and tried to follow her, but she was so fast! He heard faint cries behind him.

"Ritsu! Ritsu, come back!" He ignored Masamune and went to go find Ari. Thunder and lightning were soon all around him, and the clouds were dark again. It was making it hard to see.

"Ari! Ari, where are you? Please, answer me!" He was running out of breath, and his sides hurt. He glanced around. _Oh no! I'm lost! And it's starting to storm even worse!_

**~Kyaaa!~ Hey, it's me! I know, that was a dramatic end to one chapter. Don't hate me!**

**What will happen to Ari? What will happen to Ritsu? What about Masamune? **

**Please Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**~Kyaaaa!~ Okay, I finally made up my mind, so I think I know where this fic is headed… Who am I kidding; I make it up as I go! I can't help it! But this fic is gonna kinda be dramatic, then mellow out, then more dramatic/possibly tragic… I've said too much! Damn… **

**Slight Junjou Egoist crossover here! **

**Disclaimer~**

Ritsu struggled to keep running. He was completely soaked, and the wind and rain were only getting stronger. His eyes stung and began to water. It was no use! He couldn't see anymore. He stopped. Ari must be far away now. He was deeply worried about her. With her condition, sometimes it made it hard to leave, and her lungs were under-developed anyways.

"Ari!" He screamed, but he knew his voice was swallowed in the storm. He started to run again. He wouldn't turn back. He wouldn't leave her alone. She was always left alone. He would find her and… well, he didn't really know what to do then, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it! _I really hope we can get her to a hospital that has an oxygen machine. I know she'll say she's fine, but this is hard even for me to breathe!_

The wind started to pick up, and he could hardly see or hear anymore.

"Ari!" He started to call again. _**BOOOOM!**_ He jumped slightly, but other than that, he ignored it.

"Ar—oof!" Something crashed into his midsection, knocking him over and stealing his breath.

8888 ~**Junjou Egoist crossover begins here~**

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki called as he walked in the door.

"What, brat?" His grouchy lover called back.

"I'm home!"

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed from all the banging noises the door made."

"Oh, Hiro-san. Don't be so grouchy." He said, kissing his lips lightly. Hiroki blushed and smacked his head with a book that was in his hand.

"B-baka! Don't do that!"

"Oh, but Hiro-san, you're blushing…" He whispered into Hiroki's ear, making him shiver.

The two soon found themselves in the bedroom, and the book was on the floor of the living room, forgotten.

8888

**Riiiiing! Riiiiing! Riii— **

"What?" Hiroki growled into the phone.

"Ohh, it's Nowaki's cranky boyfriend~!"

"What the hell do you want, Tsumori?"

"There's a problem with one of the pediatric breathing machines, and Dr. Kasuma is the only one who knows how to fix them… I need him to come in right away and get it, along with a sample capsule of oxygen to make sure it works when he's done. I know it's storming pretty badly, but there could be an emergency—"

"I get it. Alright… I'll tell him." **Click**. He hung up. He didn't really want Nowaki out in this storm because he would worry (He'd never admit that).

"Oi, brat!" He said, shaking Nowaki awake.

"Mmm…Hiro'san…"

"NOWAKI!" He yelled, causing Nowaki to jump awake.

"What's wrong, Hiro-san?" he asked, concerned.

"Your boss, Tsumori, called. He said there was a problem with a kid's oxygen machine thing, and he needs you to go get it so you can fix it by tomorrow."

"Okay." He said, getting up and getting dressed. When he was at the door, he heard Hiroki mumble,

"Be careful, brat…"

"Don't worry, Hiro-san! I'll be back in a little while!" He said, kissing him again.

"B-baka!"

8888

It was hard walking to the hospital. The wind was really whipping. He winced when the harsh rain stung his eyes. _At least I'm almost home. I wonder if Hiro-san's worried about me…_

_**BOOOOM!**_ Thunder crashed behind him, making him flinch slightly.

Then he heard something else.

"Ar—oof!" And a loud _**thud.**_ He spun around, shielding his eyes with his one free hand. He stopped when he saw someone on the ground. He was right in front of a park. _Poor guy! He must have been on his way home when that trash can hit him… I'd better go help him! _

8888

_Really? I got taken down by a freaking trash can! Ugh._ He struggled to sit up. He felt the weight of the stupid can gone and looked up into intense blue eye. _Kano? No.. This guy's eyes are a different shade of blue. More like the ocean… Dr. Kasuma?_

Kasuma was saying something, but he couldn't hear him. He dragged him out of the wind, behind a building.

"Are you alright, sir?" Kasuma had to half-shout because of the wind.

"I'm okay, Dr. Kasuma!" Nowaki gave him a puzzled look. "It's me, Onodera Ritsu! I was one of your patients before, Dr. Kasuma."

"Oh yeah.. Hey, Onodera-kun, you should come home with me. This storm isn't going to let up very soon and I'd rather you not end up as my patient again!"

"But Dr. Kasuma—"

"Call me Nowaki."

"O-okay.. Nowaki-san, I can't go with you."

"Why not?"

"M-my… _sister_ is out here! She's very sick, and I can't leave without her!"

"Alright. I'll help you look."

"There's no need." Rasped a voice behind them.

8888

"Let me go! I need to get to him!" Masamune yelled at Kano and Ryo, who were holding him back.

"Takano-san, what good would it do to lose all three of you in this storm?" Miko reasoned with a sad expression.

"I need to find him!" He said, lashing out. He almost knocked Kano back.

"Takano-san, I know it's hard… I can't go out to find Ari either…" Kano tried. Masamune's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but then he started to struggle again.

"Then why don't we go find them? You could—"

"No! Neither one of you would even be able to see out there! I'm not just saying that to save my brother, I know Ritsu would kill me if I let you go! Think about him!"

"THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!" He snarled.

"No, you're not. He wouldn't want you to get hurt—" Shinzo cut in, but Masamune interrupted him.

"Don't talk about him like he's dead!" Kano paled at Masamune's words. He shot his sister a desperate look.

"No, Kano. Don't even think about it. I'm sure they're fine—"_**BOOOOM!**_ Thunder crashed outside, causing everyone to jump.

"Takano-san, please calm down!" Ryo tried. Masamune wasn't listening.

"_Ritsu_ is out there! He could—"

"I'm sure he's found her by now. They're probably safe and dry now…" Miko trailed off. Her voice even sounded doubtful to her own ears.

8888

Well, they were safe, but _dry _another matter. Ari showed up, claiming she'd heard Ritsu's cry. Nowaki took them back to his and Hiroki's apartment.

"I'm sure my Hiro-san won't mind." He said cheerfully.

"Hiro-san must be a really nice girl…" Ritsu said. He was kind of excited to meet her. If Nowaki was this nice, his girlfriend must be an angel!

"Nowaki! Geez! I was worried…" Hiroki trailed off, staring at them.

"Ah, Hiro-san. I'm fine!" _Did he just call this man… Hiro-san? Oh…_

"Who are the brats?"

"Hey!" Ari rasped.

"Well, this is Onodera-kun, and this is…"

"I'm Arika. Call me Ari." Ari supplied.

"They got caught in the storm, so I insisted that they stay here for a bit…"

"Baka…fine. I guess there's no choice. I'll get them some clothes of mine, since yours would be too big… Hey you, girl—I mean, Ari. You'll have to make do with my clothes—"

"I know. So anyways, you're together? Huh…"

"G-got a problem with that?" Hiroki challenged.

"Nah. I'm fine with it. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, puzzled. Nowaki beamed at her, and Hiroki just blushed and went to fetch clothes. Ritsu changed in the bathroom, and Ari didn't feel like waiting, so she bagn to strip in the living room, starting with her pants.

"W-what are you doing?" Hiroki nearly shouted. Nowaki was just confused.

"We'll, you're both gay, and I didn't feel like waiting, so I'm changing." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It reminded Hiroki of how Akihiko talked sometimes. When she turned around to grab the shirt, he gasped and Nowaki's eyes widened. She cursed herself again, but didn't want to snap again. She was tired.

"A-Arika-san, what… I mean, if you don't mind me asking, what are those scars from?"

She turned around to face them, and she noticed that Ritsu had joined them. He had a pained expression on his face.

"I…It's okay, Ritsu. I shouldn't have snapped at Takano-san. They… My father was not a good man, I suppose you could say…" Her voice was slightly bitter. "My mother knew that and stayed with him for a long time. They had a three daughters…two were twins… Anyways, later, they had a younger son. My older sister's name is Yumiha, my twin's name is Kariku, and my brother's name is Tariko. After Tariko was born, my mother left him. But… She didn't want to take me with her. She took Yumi, Kari, and Tariko, but she left me. She said I looked just like _him, _with my golden 'demon' eyes…. Anyways, he got even meaner after she left…" She trailed off. "I won't go into details, but things got better after I met Ritsu. He's the one who got me out of there. I hated him for awhile, but I realized he did the right thing. It was kind of hard being bounced around to different foster-families, but I did okay..." Nowaki's eyes softened, and Hiroki felt a twinge of sympathy.

"You don't have to tell us any more." Nowaki said.

"Okay… So anyways, what's for dinner?" She asked brightly. Hiroki had no idea how she could smile if her life was so hard.

"Ari! Don't be rude!"

"Hey, wait… I thought you said she was your sister?" Nowaki questioned.

"Well, pretty much…"

"Alright, brats, I'll make some rice and there's some sushi I made earlier in the fridge. I can heat that up too, if you want."

"Thank you, Hiro-san!" She beamed. He grimaced.

"It's Hiroki to you."

"Okay, sorry!" Nowaki just smiled and Ritsu was kind of confused. He shrugged and went into the living room to sit down and wait. Ari and Nowaki joined him. Nowaki was about to step on a book that was on the floor.

"No! Nowaki-san, watch out!" Ritsu said, diving for the book. Nowaki nearly tripped over him.

"What's wrong, Onodera-kun?" Hiroki came to see what the fuss was about.

"What's the fuss for, you brat?"

"W-well, he was about to step on this book… I'm sorry, I'm just a big fan of literature…" He trailed off, embarrassed. "I… My dad works for a publishing company, so I've always been surrounded by books. I just started to love them, and I spent a lot of my free time reading. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an editor… This book is actually one I helped publish. One of my old authors was Usami-sensei…." Hiroki looked surprised. _Maybe he isn't such a brat after all… _

"Have you ever heard of Sumiko-sensei?"

"Oh yes! He's one of my favorites! I haven't had time to read his newest book yet, though…"

"Well…I have it here somewhere… Would you like to borrow it?"

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah…. But if you return it damaged, I'll kill you."

"Noted."

**~Kyaaaa!~ Anyone appreciate that crossover? The Egoist couple will be in here a bit more, but not too much. I figured that Hiroki and Ritsu would get along if they ever met, so I added that last part. **

**In the next chapter, you'll get Ari's full story!**

**Review Please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**~Kyaaaaa!~ I'm back! I CAN'T BELIEVE I SPELLED NOWAKI'S LAST NAME WRONG! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE KUSAMA, NOT KASUMA! UGH!** **I had it right before, but my friend kept saying it was the other way around! I'll spell it right from now on, and I'll fix it later… **

**Thanks fer all teh nice reviews!**

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu woke up on Nowaki and Hiroki's couch. _Huh? I fell asleep… _

"Oh, you're finally awake!" Nowaki said cheerfully. "Dinner is ready."

"O-okay, thanks again…"

"Oh, it's no problem, really." He followed Nowaki into the kitchen and sat at the table. Hiroki set out their plates and got the food. It was weird to have someone besides family or Masamune eating with him like this. It was nice though. The sushi was good, and the rice was fine. He had a glass of water while Hiroki opted for coffee. Ari was mostly quiet, but she ate a lot. He rolled his eyes at her as she grabbed another mini-cake.

"You are what you eat, you know…" He teased. She looked utterly puzzled.

"Huh…I don't remember eating anything called a 'sexy'….." They all laughed, and she cracked a smile.

"Okay, point to you…"

"Hey, I think the storm has gone down a bit. You should try to call your boyfriend now." Nowaki said suddenly. Ritsu nearly choked on his water.

"W-what?"

"Arika-san told me—"

"You don't have to say anymore." He said, shooting her a glare. She only smiled. But then she started to cough and wheeze. She doubled over, clutching her throat.

"Hey, brat, what's wrong with her?" Hiroki cried. Nowaki was on his feet immediately, checking her breathe sounds.

"Oh no… I thought she was better! She hardly wheezed or anything on the way here…. I need to take her to a hospital to get an oxygen machine—"

"No need. We have one here." Nowaki said. "Onodera-kun, grab my bad off the table and bring it here." Ritsu hurriedly obeyed him, and Nowaki pulled the machine out of the bag. He had fixed it while Ritsu was asleep. Ritsu would have smiled if Ari wasn't in so much agony. The machine was very cute. It was shaped and painted like a little penguin with blue eyes and a little red bow-tie. Nowaki unscrewed the bottom and pulled out the breathing mask, quickly pressing it to her face. Ritsu quickly plugged it in, and Nowaki turned it on. The room was filled with a small buzzing noise and Ari's wheezing. Nowaki was murmuring quietly and using his stethoscope to detect heart and lung sounds.

"Her lungs are—"

"They're under-developed. That's why they sound so weird."

"…Alright, but I'd still like to do a check-up on her. I don't know if anything hit her while she was out there, and it could mess her up worse."

"…Gee, th-thanks…" She wheezed.

"Arika-san, I must advise you against speaking until you can breathe properly. Now if you don't mind, I… um, I…." He faltered and blushed a little. She wordlessly nodded and took off her shirt. She had a camisole underneath it, so it wasn't like she was naked, but it still felt odd to Nowaki to touch anyone except Hiroki.

He examined her quickly, seeing nothing wrong.

"Okay, I don't see any damage…"

"Ch-check…. Ritsu…"

"Oh! I forgot that you got hit by that trashcan!"

"I-I'm fine!" He protested.

"Just let him treat you, Onodera." Hiroki said impatiently. _At least he didn't call me brat… _

"Okay…" He took off his shirt. He had a large bruise on his stomach that was slightly purple, but Nowaki determined that there was no internal damage. He gave Ritsu a cool cloth to help with the stinging, and Ari had just finished her dose of oxygen. She was a lot better now.

"Thank you… I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you guys in any way…"

"No, you couldn't help it."

"Hey, if you're a pediatrician, then why were you the one to treat me when I got that cut?" Ritsu asked.

"Oh, well, my co-workers were swamped, so I offered to help out in the pit."

"Oh. Okay." Ritsu disappeared into the kitchen

"Oi, brat, what are you doing in there?"_ So it's back to brat… _

"Just doing the dishes!"

"Onodera-kun! You don't have to do that!" Nowaki called.

"But you guys made us dinner, and are letting us stay here for the storm…"

"You still—"

"I'm already almost done. It's only fair." Hiroki was liking this kid more and more.

"Shouldn't you call your boyfriend now?" Hiroki asked.

"Shit! I forgot…. How long have we been here?" Nowaki thought for a moment.

"About four or five hours…" _And I was out chasing Ari for about thirty minutes before that…. Masamune and the others must be so worried…. I feel so bad…. But… can I really talk to him again? I'm still kinda mad, but I suppose anyone would be curious, but he didn't have to be that rude… And I kinda gave him a mean look before I left too… _

"Ritsu, just call him. It was my fault for running away anyways."

"But…"

"Think about it… Nowaki, even if you and Hiroki had a fight, wouldn't you be worried about him being out in such a fierce storm? And vise-versa?"

"I would." Nowaki said instantly.

"I…I would too…" Hiroki mumbled. Nowaki beamed and hugged him close, kissing his temple. Hiroki blushed and slapped his hands away.

"W-we have guests, baka!" He sputtered. "C'mon brat, just call him."

"O-okay…" He took his phone off the table, where it had been drying off.

_**Riiiii— **_

"Ritsu?"

"Y-yeah, I—"

"Are you alright? Where are you? Are you hurt? Is—"

"Masamune! I-I'm fine!"

"Ritsu… I'm sorry…"

"N-no. It wasn't your fault… Anyone would have been curious—though you could have gone about it in a better way. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you, and I shouldn't have run off."

"It _was_ my fault—and no, you shouldn't have." His voice turned kind of stern. "What if something had happened to you? I had no idea where you were! Do you know how worried I was?" Ritsu blushed.

"I-I said I was sorry—"

"You also didn't answer my question. Where are you?"

"I came to Nowaki-san's apartment to wait out—"

"Who is '_Nowaki-san?"_ Masamune's voice was sharp. _He's jealous of someone he hasn't even met! _

"He's a friend of mine. He found me when I was looking for Ari, right after the wind knocked a trashcan into my stomach—"

"I thought you said you weren't hurt?"

"I'm not. It's just a little bruise… Anyways, we found Ari, and now we're at Nowaki—and his _lover—'s_ house." He added that last part so Masamune wouldn't be so jealous.

"Give me the address."

"Um…"

"Well?"

"Hang on, I gotta check."

"You don't even know where you are?"

"Hey, it was dark and cloudy…"

"Just hurry up." _He's still so worried. _

"You don't have to be so worried—"

"I won't stop worrying until I see you."

"B-baka…" He blushed again. Masamune's voice sounded as if they'd been apart for weeks!

8888

Masamune had been pacing. The storm had started to calm down, but still no sign of Ritsu. Kano was getting restless too. This was killing him! It had been four hours and thirty-three minutes since Ritsu disappeared. _I should have gone after him! What if something happened to him?_ But every time he tried to leave, Shinzo, Ryo, Miko, or Kano stopped him.

After Ritsu called, he was so relieved. He got the address and rushed right over, probably breaking the speed limit at more than one point. They had to take two cars because his car was only a two-seater, and Kano wanted to go too.

8888

Ritsu and Ari changed into their original clothes, which Nowaki had thoughtfully washed for them They were about to walk out the door, but Nowaki stopped them.

"Onodera-san!"

"Yes?"

"Here!" He handed him a slip of paper.

"What's this?"

"It's a prescription for Arika-san. I didn't think she'd keep it if I gave it to her, but I need you to make sure you take this and get a breathing machine for her. I want her to do her treatment at least once a day, before bed. Can you do that?"

"Y-yeah. Thank you so much, for everything."

"No problem." Nowaki smiled.

8888

Masamune was getting impatient. He was about to storm in there and get Ritsu himself, but Ari came out the door first.

"Where's Ritsu?"

"Nowaki-kun wanted to talk with him for a bit. He'll be out here any minute—oof!" Kano hugged her, squeezing the life out of her. She blushed.

"Ari-chan! I was so worried about you!" She blushed more. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." He stood there dazed, but managed a feeble,

"W-what was that for?"

"For worrying about me. No one's ever worried about me before, except a select few people." She blushed again. Taking his hand, she led them to the car.

Ritsu came outside a moment later. Masamune was at his side in an instant. He hugged him so hard he couldn't breathe. Ritsu blushed and went to say something, but Masamune covered his mouth with his own. He didn't let go until they heard a voice clearing their throat. And even then, he only stopped kissing him. He didn't let him go completely.

"Ahem." It was a man shorter than him, but slightly taller than Ritsu. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He handed Ritsu a slip of paper.

"What's this?"

"My phone number, of course." Masamune wanted to punch him, but there was suddenly a very tall, very muscular man beside him. He had black hair and bright blue eyes.

"What for?" Ritsu asked.

"So you can call me when you're done with my book, baka!"

"O-oh! Thank you, Hiroki-san!" Ritsu smiled at him. He waved goodbye and Masamune drove them home. Once they got inside, Masamune pulled him inside his apartment.

"W-what are you doing? I n-need to take a shower and change! I'll be back in—"

"No."

"But—mmph!" Masamune crushed their lips together, stealing all of Ritsu's breath and strength.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere. I could have lost you today."

"I don't think—"

"I don't care. I love you." Masamune said, kissing him again. "I was scared."

"Why? It wasn't that bad! I—"

"It could have been worse. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. Ritsu, you still don't get how much I love you."

"I love you too…"

**~Kyaaaa!~ I would write more, but I need sleep! Sorry if it sucked! **

**Lemon = next chapter!**

**Please Review! **


	13. Chapter 13

**~Kyaaaa!~ Hey, I'm back! I'm doing better in school now… That's not even why she took my stuff though. They weren't THAT bad. **

**Just so you know, Ritsu's birthday will be in here soon. After all, that got together in December, and have been together for almost five months, and Ritsu's birthday is March 27****th****. **

**Disclaimer~**

**~Lemon~ **

"M-Masamune…" Ritsu moaned against his mouth. Masamune's kisses were desperately passionate, as if it was the last time they'd ever be together. It wasn't, of course, but he was still a bit stressed from almost losing him.

"I love you." He said, kissing Ritsu's collarbone. He kissed all the way up to Ritsu's mouth, and Ritsu gave him full access right away. Their tongues battled, and their lips were crushed against eachother. Both were hungry for this. Both needed it. Suddenly Ritsu pulled back.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." But when he went to kiss him again, Ritsu turned his head. Masamune let out a small growl.

"I-if you k-kiss me anymore, my lips will be too swollen, and so will yours… Everyone will see when we go into work tomorrow."

"Good." Was his only reply as he kissed him again. Ritsu let him, knowing that Masamune was thinking of Hasegawa-san. He didn't like it that Masamune got so jealous…. Well, he kind of did, actually… _No! No! No! What am I thinking? I don't like it when he's jealous… He gets all fierce and—Ah, I need to stop thinking!_

Masamune continued to dominate Ritsu's mouth, only breaking apart to remove their shirts. He gasped when he got Ritsu's shirt off. Ritsu's stomach was brownish/purple. It wasn't a bad one. It would probably go away in a few days, but it was big.

"Ritsu…"

"I-it's okay… It doesn't hurt…" Still, Masamune continued as if he could break. He placed feather-light kisses all over his stomach, and Ritsu was pleasantly surprised when it didn't hurt. In fact, it felt nice. Ritsu pulled Masamune's face beck up to his, and kissed him passionately. Masamune let him, surprised. His surprise didn't last long because he was soon dominateing the brunet's mouth once again. Suddenly, Ritsu grabbed the bottle of lube that was always kept handy on the nightstand, and drizzled the strawberry-flavored all over Masamune's cock. Masamune was ver eager to see what happened next.

"Nnn….Mmm….Ritsu…" Ritsu acknowledged his praise by 'hmm-ing' his approval, sending waves of pleasure through Masamune's manhood. Masamune moaned and threaded his hands through Ritsu's hair, urging him to keep going. The lube had added to his pleasure, and soon, he was close to climax.

"Ohh…Ritsu…" He called, pulsing into Ritsu's mouth. Ritsu swallowed instantly, and looked up at him. Their eyes met and Ritsu blushed, looking away. Masamune already felt his libido stirring again at the sight of Ritsu blushing with his cum at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't wait much longer. He grabbed the lube, ripping the cap off with his teeth, and drizzled some on his hands and his manhood. He pulled Ritsu up quickly, onto his lap, kissing him deeply while he inserted the first finger. Ritsu's surprised cry was covered by Masamune's lips. The pain soon turned to pleasure after the second and third were inserted. He wanted _more_.

"Unnngh…Haa…P-please….Nnn…"

"Please what?"

"…W-want…Unnngh!...W-want you i-inside! Oh!" He cried out when Masamune began to push Ritsu down slowly. Once buried to the hilt, he waited until he thought Ritsu was ready and grabbed Ritsu's hips, helping him ride his aching manhood. Ritsu soon added his own speed, and they were meeting each other with each thrust.

"Ah…ah…ohhh…Nnnn…Haa…Mmm…" Ritsu felt like he was high on the pleasure, but he wanted _more._

"M-Masamune…p-push me back… P-please!" He cried. Masamune pushed him down onto the bed, not breaking their rhythm.

"Oh! Oh! Mmm….H-harder! Ah! Ah! Ah!" Masamune let go of his caution, and began fucking his lover into oblivion and pumping Ritsu in time with his thrusts.

"Oh! Oh! OH! Ahh…Mmm…M-Masa-ah-mune!" He cried, cumming onto their stomachs and the sheets. Soon Masamune was riding out his own orgasm.

"_Ritsu!"_ He cam deep inside of his lover, and when he pulled out, they both gasped. They collapsed, exhausted, into each other's arms.

**~End of Lemon~ **

Masamune was happy. He had his Ritsu back, and they just had a wonderful love-making session—and Ritsu was still up in his arms! Usually he shrugged himself out of them or he had to leave. He sighed happily, pulling Ritsu closer. Suddenly, he felt Ritsu pull away. _No._ His mind growled. He tightened his grip. Ritsu sighed.

"Where do you think you're going?" He growled softly.

"Well… I-I…um…." He paused for a second and took a deep breath. "I-I was going to get a couple outfits and stuff because I never brought any of my stuff over…" He trailed off and smirked, but Masamune didn't see it. "But if you don't want me to…."

"…Damn… Can't it wait? I was comfortable…" He complained.

"No. We have work tomorrow—though I could just stay at my apartment and bring it over tomorrow if you want—"

"No. I want you here tonight." _Every night…_ His mind added. Ritsu nodded and blushed as he got dressed and left.

8888

Ritsu hadn't been gone for five minutes, and Masamune already wanted him back. His bed was now cold without Ritsu's warm body in it. He shook his head. He hated to be all mushy and sentimental. Suddenly his phone rang.

_**Riiiiing! Riiiing! Riii— **_

"What?" He growled into the phone. He growled even more when he realized who it was. "Try it and I'll kill you…. No….Why do you want to? I'm busy. Why?...The answer is still no!" He hung up and slammed the phone down. He didn't want to deal with idiots, specially that particular idiot. He looked up to see Ritsu staring at him, a blue duffel bag in hand.

"Who was that?"

"Nobody who matters."

"What do you mean—" Masamune covered his mouth with his hand.

"Shh…I need to punish you for leaving my bed…." He grinned wickedly.

"Y-you're the one who—mmph!" After a while of kissing, they broke apart, panting.

"I…I love you…" Ritsu said. He was immediately 'attacked' again.

**~Kyaaa!~ I was super busy today, so that's all I have time for! Sorry! **

**Please Review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**~Kyaaa!~ Haha, I love how almost every comment I got was about how short the last chapter was. Anyways, the ending of it felt a bit rushed to me, but oh well… I GOT MY STUFF BACK! Hopefully now my creative juices will flow better… **

**I think I'm going to do a question of the day from now on! Today's question:**

"**What is your favorite song today?" (Mine changes dailey) My answer: Right now it's 'Where Butterflies Never Die' by Broken Iris. Sounds better than the title, I promise! **

**Disclaimer~**

Ritsu woke up and stretched, wincing at the pain in his backside. Masamune was still asleep, and it was still dark outside. He didn't want to wake Masamune up by moving, so he slowly, and almost reluctantly, moved out of his arms. He shivered at how cold he suddenly felt without Masamune's arms holding him. Masamune's brow furrowed and his arms twitched, but he didn't wake up. Ritsu looked at the clock. It was only midnight. He didn't feel like he could sleep at all. He pulled his boxers on and walked into the kitchen quietly. He brewed some tea and sighed. This wasn't helping. He checked his phone. **3 missed messages **

_8:53 - _**Tokioko Arika: **Hey Ritsu, thanks for letting me stay at your apartment! :)

_10:37 - _**Tokioko Arika: **Hey, you mind keeping it down? Geez, you're so loud!

He blushed and muttered something along the lines of "Stupid Masamune…."

11:52 – **Tokioko Arika: **Um, is the coffee-maker supposed to wobble and smoke?

Wobble? Smoke? Oh no! What had she done to his apartment? He ran to the door, but then he realized he wasn't wearing pants. He ran back to Masamune's room and pulled on his pants. He grabbed a shirt too, not seeing which one it was. He ran to the other apartment and jammed his key in the door.

"Ari! What's—" He cut himself off, shocked at the scene.

"R-Ritsu? I-I know this looks bad—"

"_**Bad? You destroyed my kitchen!"**_

"Destroyed is such a strong word—okay then… I… I'm sorry! I wanted to make you breakfast and coffee…"

"AT MIDNIGHT?"

"Well, I figured that if I messed up I could try again until I got it."

Ritsu was at a loss for words. His poor kitchen! _I should have told her a long time ago that she's a terrible cook, but her eyes light up every time I say I like her cooking…_ There were—what he assumed to be pancakes—on the ceiling, burnt eggs on the stove, exploded coffee on the wall and a few cabinets, and his coffee-maker and toaster appeared to be broken. He was pissed.

"I-I'll clean it up…" She promised feebly.

"No. You won't. You are going to get out of my kitchen and go to bed."

"But—"

"Now! I don't want to see you back out here until I'm done! You got that?"

"Yeah… I'm really sorry….. Nii-chan." She walked sullenly out of the ruined kitchen. _Nii-chan, eh? She hasn't called me that since… since we were ten…._

_**Flashback~ **_

"_Nii-chan! Don't let them take me!" Ari screamed, kicking and struggling. _

"_Ari! Ari, I'm sorry!" He cried._

"_Noooo! Pleeeeaaaase! NII-CHAAAAAAAN!" _

_**End 0f Flashback~ **_

He shoved the painful memory aside. He didn't want to think about that day. He sighed and got to work.

But the memory kept coming back and he felt tears begin t spill.

He didn't finish until 4:30. But even then, he sat on the floor and cried.

8888

Masamune felt cold. He shivered and went to pull Ritsu closer, but there was a problem. He wasn't there. He sat up groggily.

"Oi, Ritsu! Where are you?" He called. No answer. He got up and checked all of the rooms. Nada. _Dammit! I thought we were done with this leaving in the middle of the night business! Fuck this!_

He angrily pulled on some pants and stormed into the hallway. He didn't bother getting out his key because he was sure Ritsu had forgotten to lock it. He had. He stormed in, prepared to yell, prepared to fight, and prepared to get him back. He was not, however, prepared to find Ritsu sitting on his kitchen floor, crying.

"Ritsu? What's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked, rushing to his side. Ritsu immediately clung to him and buried his face in his chest. Masamune had never seen him—or anyone—cry so hard. He held him close until his sobs died down.

"Takano-san?" Ari called cautiously. He ignored her.

"Oi, Ritsu! Wake up! Don't just fall asleep on the floor! You'll get sick, baka!"

"Takano-san. If you wake him up, I'll personally kill you." She declared sharply. He glanced up at her in disbelief. He looked like he was about to spit a reply, but she cut him off.

"Carry him to his room, but then come back out here. There's something I want you to know."

"I—"

"Don't protest. This could help him." He nodded and obeyed. He noticed that Ritsu was wearing his shirt. It was a white button-down, and it was very big on him, going halfway down his thighs. He looked adorable, but even unconscious, he had tears flowing down his cheeks. Masamune sighed and brushed his bangs away from his eyes so he could kiss the tears away. Ritsu stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. He looked pained.

"What do you want?" He growled, coming back into the kitchen.

"Keep your voice down. I'm going to tell you a story, and you're going to listen. No interruptions. Do you promise?"

"What's it about?"

"…I need to tell you about my life story, no matter how boring it seems. You already know that Ritsu gets sick when his personal life is stressed, right?" Masamune nodded. "Well, that's my fault." She took a deep breathe.

"My father abused me, as you know. He wasn't a drinker, and he wasn't on drugs… He just hated me. He hit my mom, sisters, and brother too, but I had it the worst. I,-well technically, my twin sister and I—were the only time he ever beat my mother while she was pregnant. I've been sick for a while, and my lungs are under-developed. The doctors think it's from the abuse I received and the fact my mother drank during the pregnancy…. When I was six, my mom left, taking only my siblings with her. Everything got so much worse. If I spoke out of turn, he hit me. If I left the house without telling him, he hit me. The worst was when I disobeyed his orders… He locked me in this little room with this dog, a very mean dog… She shuddered. "Many of those scars are from that dog, but some are also from his own hands. He'd hit me with anything he could find. But he was smart. He stopped leaving marks and we moved just outside Tokyo when I was seven. One day, I decided to run away…At…at least with the dog, I had a small chance of calming it down before it did too much damage… " She trailed off.

"I didn't get far. Only a few miles. Then I met Ritsu and Nonagaru, who took me in for the night. They were so kind to me, but I didn't understand their way of life. Living in pain and fear was all I knew. I was friends with them for a long time, but eventually Nonagaru saw the marks. That was when I was around ten years old. He wanted to tell someone, but I begged him not to. I told him it wasn't that bad. He reluctantly agreed, and later he moved. His father was moving into a new house because his dad was marrying some woman… Ishikaru's mother. Anyways, after that I only talked to Ritsu. Soon he saw the marks too. I begged him not to tell and threatened to leave if he did. He told me he wouldn't, but he started to get sick. He was worrying himself sick. One day…. I came home late… It was so bad. I almost died. I was ten at the time…. Ritsu told his parents, and they called CPS and I was taken away…far, far away… Ritsu's uncle Toka—Nonagaru's dad—tried to adopt me, but the law forbade it because I technically had one parent still alive and well. They tried to pass me off on my mother, but she told me that I was a demon and to get the hell out of her house. So I did. I lived with Toka until I was fifteen, then I got my own apartment."

"How?" Masamune's voice was soft, and he felt bad for her.

"Didn't I tell you not to interrupt? And it was in Toka's name until I turned eighteen, so they couldn't claim it was owned by a minor. Anyways, don't give me that look. Let me finish. I get Night-Terrors, and Nonagaru was the only one who knew. The Night-Terrors put a strain on my already-weak body. Since he died, I tried being on my own, but they got worse, and so did my health. So Toka decided I needed to go to the hospital…. I argued with him, and Ritsu's father got me a job at Marukawa… Before you say 'I'm sorry' or whatever, think about Ritsu. He was the one who was forced into secrecy to the point he was so sick he couldn't move, he was forced to tell my secret and lose the last friend he had, and I blamed him for everything. Don't feel bad for me. I don't want your pity. If you truly care about him, take care of him now—and especially after I die."

"What do you—"

"As I said, the doctors don't know what's wrong with me…But they said I wouldn't live to be thirty. I'm twenty-seven. Do the math. Actually, it would be better for me to leave… Did you know Ishikaru hates me? He blames me for ruining Ritsu's life. And he may be right… I suppose I'm being selfish, but I want to stay. He's finally happy, and I want to watch him stay that way. I'd do anything to make sure he stayed happy. I love him like a brother. So, do you promise to take care of him?"

"I promise."

**~Kya~ Okay, I'm sick, but I promised, so here it is!**

**Don't forget the question of the day! **

"**What is your favorite song today?" (Mine changes daily) My answer: Right now it's 'Where Butterflies Never Die' by Broken Iris. Sounds better than the title, I promise! **

**Listen to it, and tell me what you think, or just tell me yours! **

**Do you want me to add a flashback of the day she was taken? That way you'd get the full story... Let me know!**

**Please Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**~Kyaaaa!~ Haha, thanks for the nice reviews! Man, some of you guys have great taste in music! I listened to a few of your songs and I really liked some of them! I like music from all genres. Today I ended up staying home because I was too sick to go anywhere. I fetlt so guilty because my mom and my sister were so worried about me.**

**If you didn't already know, I based Ari's sickness mostly after myself. Except the doctors didn't say I have 3 years left… They have no idea. Anyways, I know I need to add more RyoXShinzo, so I'll put it in here! **

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu had a fitful sleep he kept having nightmares about Ari and her father. When he woke up, it was almost seven o'clock.

"Wah! I'm going to be late!" He rushed to sit up, but before he could get out of bed, Ari was there.

"No. You stay here. Takano-san said you could have the day off."

"What? Why?"

"Because you were all sad and you had a fitful sleep—"

"I don't care! If I stay here, I'll go mad. Besides, the deadlines are coming up and I have a few mangaka who need to step up!"

"I'm sure Takano-san will—"

"I don't want him to do me any favors just because we're together!"

"It's not because we're together." Masamune said from the doorway. He was dressed and ready to go. "I would give anyone else the day off if they had the night you had."

"I don't _want_ the day off! I hate no being able to do anything productive! Just let me go to work!" He pleaded. Masamune sighed and reluctantly said,

"Fine… Just don't do anything too stressful." He said, kissing the top of Ritsu's head. "And I'm still mad at you for leaving my bed. You surely won't be able to walk tomorrow—hey!" He said smugly, but then he had to dodge a pillow.

"Yeah right! I wasn't going to let you kiss me the other say, but then I got caught up in the moment… Today you aren't allowed to kiss me!" He declared.

"Challenge accepted. Now, get ready for work. I'll drive us."

"Fine, but I mean it, no kissing!" Masamune rolled his eyes and nodded, knowing that he would break Ritsu's rule within minutes.

The car ride was mostly silent, but when they pulled in the parking-lot…

"Dammit, Masamune! I said no!"

"Mm, but you want it too…"

"N-no I don't!" he protested, struggling to push him back and open the door. He nearly fell out of the car.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ritsu growled.

The day was filled with arguing on the phone and Masamune trying to kiss him whenever he had the chance. To Masamune's astonishment, Ritsu had managed to foil his attempts. It reminded him of the time before they were together, and that made him want to kiss Ritsu even more. Suddenly, Ritsu stood up.

"Where are you going, Onodera?"

"I'm going to go see two of my mangaka, _Takano-san_."

"Which ones?"

"Ikimoto-sensei and Nonisku-sensei." _Kano and Ishikaru. _Masamune lowered his voice.

"Who are you going to take with you to see Kano?"

"Nobody."

"Then you aren't going." He said firmly, grabbing Ritsu's wrist.

"Yes, I am. Ryo is there, and Shinzo will be back any moment, so I don't need to take anyone with me."

"But Ari—"

"I don't want to talk to her right now. I'm still mad at her for ruining my kitchen."

"Your kitchen?"

"Yeah. That's why I left this morning."

"I still think you should—" Ritsu was already gone. Masamune scowled. He glanced over to see Kisa giggling and he swore he heard him whisper to Mino, "Haha, I guess we know who wears the pants in their relationship!"

"Kisa, I forgot, you have more paperwork to do! And why isn't your storyboard draft in? I need a copy of it ASAP!" Kisa paled and started to rush through his desk and scramble for the phone. Mino made a mental note not to comment on his boss's relationship.

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Ritsu sighed. He was in Kano's office and they were working on his storyboard. Kano was having trouble earlier, but now he was okay. Ritsu decided to stay a bit longer that way he could edit them as Kano finished them so it would go faster.

Shinzo was having a hard time denying Ryo. He'd been avoiding him since the storm. But now he couldn't. He had no reason to leave the house, and Ryo was there for Kano's check-up.

"Have you given up denying that you like me?" Ryo's voice drawled.

"Never." He growled. Ryo smiled. "What're you—mmph!" Ryo silenced him with a kiss. Shinzo started to give in. _N-no! I can't let him win!_

"S-stop!" He stuttered, pushing him away. When Ryo's ice-blue eyes met Shinzo's caramel ones, Shinzo had to force himself not to break down and kiss him again. "I-I do have a girlfriend!" He said suddenly.

"Oh really?" Ryo snorted.

"Yes." Shinzo declared. He forced his voice to remain calm and his eyes not to waver. Ryo's eyes darkened.

"What's her name?"

"Katiwa Morika." He answered.

"Oh? And does Miss Katiwa know that you've slept with me? Twice?"

"Y-yes she does. She forgave me!" He suddenly thought of something. "In fact… I'm going on a date with her tomorrow!"

"Fine. Go out with your little 'girlfriend'. I'm not backing down." He said, pulling Shinzo to him, and kissing him one more time.

"W-why did you d-do that? I just told you I have a girlfriend!" Ryo smirked.

"Why did you let me? Admit it, the girl's fake."

"N-no she isn't!"

"Then I'm a better kisser than her. You seemed really into it."

"N-no, you just wouldn't let me go!"

"Is that why you clung so desperately to me the other night?"

"I did no such thing!"

"Did so."

"Did not!"

"Did so."

"Did not!"

"Did so."

"SHUT UP! Now, I'm going on a date with my girlfriend tomorrow, and we're done!"

"…Did so…"

"ARGH!"

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Ryo smiled to himself. He knew Shinzo would come around. If he did have a girlfriend, she could cause a problem for him later… _No matter. I'll just have to make sure his date doesn't go as planned! _

_I'll show her that he's mine._

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Ritsu decided to just have Ishikaru fax his designs to Kano's house. It was Ishikaru's turn to design the cover. He was happy for his friend. When he got them, however, he was not so happy… He decided to call him.

"Ishikaru! What the hell is this?"

"I drew the designs—"

"Well, I can't see them! Did you spill coffee on it? What is that?"

He mumbled something incoherent.

"What?"

"It's my blood! My hand is still messed up from that stupid book-shelf thing! It started bleeding today and it won't stop! I sent you the cleanest copy!"

"I-it's due in a few days!"

"I KNOW THAT!"

"Calm down…. Just… Meet me at Marukawa in a half hour!" He snapped his phone shut.

"Is something wrong, Ritsu-kun?"

"Yeah… Hey, can you bring your draft to Marukawa? I have another matter I must attend to, but I need to finish helping you too. Sorry if this is an inconvenience…"

"No, that's okay! Can Shika-kun come too?" _Shika? Oh. One of his stuffed wolves_.

"Sure. No problem."

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"This is a disaster!" Isaka declared, clearly distraught.

"Isaka-san, isn't there anyone else who can do it?"

"No! That's the problem! All other eligible mangaka have already done it in the past year, and it has to be a new one every month! The ones that are eligible just took off on a group vacation! This is terrible!"

"Shika-kun has a suggestion!" Kano declared happily.

"Ikimoto, you can't do it! You've already done one!"

"I didn't say that. And Shika said you should have Ritsu do it! He draws really well!"

"He's not a mangaka!"

"But he can draw just as well as me. Probably even better!" Ishikaru supplied.

"Onodera, is this true? Can you draw?"

"I-I can, but sir, I don't think I'm that good—"

"Nonsense! You're great! He's helped me edit panels before. He even showed me how to draw wolves the way he does, though he's still better than me?"

"He did? They looked so professional… Onodera, I've decided. You will draw the design."

"B-but sir, I—"

"I'll, of course, need some proof. Draw a picture of…." Suddenly, Masamune walked in.

"What's going on?"

"Him! Draw a picture of Takano-san!"

"B-but—"

"If you don't, you're fired."

"WHAT?"

"What are you talking about, Isaka?" Masamune asked, outraged.

"Nonisku's hand is messed up and he can't draw. It's his turn to design to cover, but now he can't. We don't have a replacement; however, Ikimoto here says that Onodera can draw. I want proof. If he can draw you, the he's hired. If not…."

"O-okay!" Ritsu said, defeated. "J-just leave me alone for a few minutes…"

"You heard the kid, everyone out! That includes you, Takano!" Masamune grumbled, but complied.

Ritsu worked vigorously at first, but he gradually slowed a little to add details. Suddenly the paper was gone from his hands.

"Hey! I wasn't done!" He protested, but Isaka only grinned.

"Look at this detail! It's perfect!" He beamed, pointing to the delicate detail. Ritsu drew Masamune's face close up, only from the shoulders up. He was wearing a grey button-up shirt that had the first two undone, his hair was slightly messy, and he had his glasses on. He added little details, like wrinkles in his shirt, and a slight glare on his glasses. He even added a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Isaka suddenly grinned evilly and glanced at Asahina.

"Onodera, I think I need more proof…. Could you draw Asahina in a speedo?"

"W-WHAT? N-NO!" Asahina gave Isaka an evil glare and whispered something the rest of them couldn't hear. Isaka paled.

"I-I was just kidding! Onodera, could you draft a design by tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Nonisku, you design it. Just tell him what to draw. Onodera, we're counting on you. No pressure."

"…."

"You'll be fine." Masamune said proudly. He was proud of Ritsu for being able to do this.

"I-I'll try…" He promised, grabbing another paper. Ishikaru stayed with him, telling him what he should draw while everyone else went back to their jobs.

He didn't finish until 11:30.

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Ari paced the floor. She couldn't believe Ritsu wouldn't take her calls! All she did was… was ruin his kitchen. _Damn it!_ She decided to take a shower. She set her phone on the coffee table and went to get a towel. Her stomach suddenly clenched. _Oww, why does this have to happen now? It hurts… Oh well. I'll just take a shower. _She walked to the bathroom, accidentally knocking her phone on the floor when she doubled over in pain. _C-crap. I'll just pick it up later. A shower will make me feel better… _

The warm water helped for a little bit, but it didn't last long. She got fevers easily. Soon she was too hot, so she changed it to a more lukewarm temperature. She rushed through it, deciding she should call someone. She threw on some clothes, a T-shit and a pair of basketball shorts. While walking back for her phone, she suddenly felt nauseous. The room began to spin and her eyes were swimming. Suddenly, she fell to the ground. She couldn't move at all. She began to convulse violently. As she vomited, she struggled to stay laying on her side so she would choke on her own vomit._ Can't…breathe….need…phone… _She struggle to drag herself forward. She was glad that she hadn't picked it up earlier. As she was crawling, she realized that her once-white shirt was now stained with crimson. _I'm bleeding? From where?_ _Oh God!_ The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She'd vomited blood. _Great, so it all ends with me bleeding out on Ritsu's floor…_ Everything started to fade to black, and she was starting to welcome the blissful darkness. _Wait! I can't! If…If I die here, Ritsu will be the one to find me! I can't do this to him!_ She forced her eyes open and dragged herself forward a bit. She could touch her phone with the tips of her fingers. She was going to drag herself forward, but suddenly her limbs suddenly felt like lead. She couldn't move. She winced as she felt herself get ready for another round of vomiting. She couldn't turn herself this time. She was going to die.

_It…It hurts so much!_

_I need to try…. For Ritsu…For Kano… _

_I can't move!_

_Am I really going to die alone, choking on my own bloody vomit, when my phone's so close?_

_But I can't reach it…. _

_No….no…no…_

She glanced at the clock. **12:02**.

_This is the last midnight I'll ever see…. Ritsu…. I'm sorry…_

**~Kyaaaa!~ Dun Dun Dun! Cliffy! I'm sorry! I know it's bad!**

**What will happen on Shinzo's date? How will Ritsu do? What will happen to Ari?**

**Question of the day:**

**What's your favorite movie?**

**I can't think of one right now, so I'll just tell you one. 'Life As We Know It.' It's all cute and kinda funny… though I like action and horror more…**

**Please Review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**~Kyaaaa!~ Okay, I'm sorry about being gone so long! It's been… like four/five days… Anyways, I know that was a big cliffy! I realized I forgot to add a part, so now I have to alter this chapter a bit, but I think you'll like it! **

**Haha, thanks, 'ImJustLazy'! I'm not dead, but I have been sick! Hey, what's your pen-name again?**

**Thanks for your sweet reviews!**

**Disclaimer~ **

_No…..I….I can make it! I can!...No…_ She barely managed to turn her head, and most of the bloody bile made it out without choking her. Most. It was still hard to breathe. The light began to get dimmer. _How odd… Oh wait, it's not the light over my head… it's my eyes. Everything's fading to black…_

**Woof! Woof! Whiiiiiinnnne!**

_Rara? I forgot about her!_ She felt a cold nose pressed to the side of her cheek.

**Whiiiiiinnnne?**

"Rara….good….girl…" She choked out. Rara huffed worriedly. Minutes seemed like hours. The last time she saw the clock, it said **12:15.** She couldn't even open her eyes anymore.

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Kano decided to go home with Ritsu. He'd forgotten part of his storyboard there anyways. Miko showed up, and Kano pouted until she let him go with Ritsu, but she came with them. Masamune sighed and waited patiently.

"You know, you can just go ahead…"

"….Fine." He sighed reluctantly. A few minutes later, Miko met up with them. It didn't take long to get back to the apartment complex. Ritsu was dead tired. He couldn't wait to get Kano his storyboard and go back home—_home? I'm going back to Masamune's place…. But it feels so natural to call it home…. Maybe I can make this work… I'll tell him tonight._

He glanced at the clock that was next to the elevator. **12:15.** It was late… Maybe he'd tell Masamune tomorrow. Miko and Kano skipped ahead of him and his sluggish pace, happily taunting him about it. Suddenly they heard something.

_**Hooooooowl!**_

"I bet Rara's just excited that you're home. She's getting close to having her pups, too." Miko said cheerfully. But when she opened the door…

_**SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAM!**_

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Masamune waited for Ritsu to return home—_home? Damn it, I don't want to get my hopes up if he's just going to say no… But he won't say no. Because…because… Because I said so! We're finally together, and it's going to stay that way. _

He heard voices outside his apartment and he instantly recognized the voice of his lover. He was about to open his door, but a certain furry critter stopped him.

_**Meow….Purrrrr….**_

Sorata purred as she rubbed against his legs.

"Geez, you're getting fat, cat." He said affectionately, petting her head. Her belly was now swollen, and she was close to kitting. Ari had said there would be at least two, maybe three kittens. He was kind of excited. But he also remembered what she said after that.

"_I'm sorry, Takano-san, but I doubt she'll survive kitting. She's almost eleven years old…"_

That hurt. More than he'd admit. He loved this little cat. She looked up at him with her blue/grey eyes and mewed in approval as he stroked her head. He'd always liked her soft stormy-grey fur, and he liked the way only her chest, her muzzle, the very tips of her paws, and the tip of her tail were white. He picked her up, being careful of her swollen belly, and stroked her back, too.

_**Purrrr **_

"You know, I think you're—"

_**SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAM!**_

He was out of his apartment and inside Ritsu's before that terrified shriek even ended.

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Ritsu was in shock at first. There was blood smeared all over his carpet, an Ari lay in the middle of it. Her head was turned slightly to the side, and she wasn't moving. Rara whined and barked pitifully, circling Ari's still form. They were all frozen. He was the first to snap out of it.

"Ari! Ari, can you hear me?" He rushed to her side and shook her a little. She made a strangled sound.

"Miko, go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water, Kano, you call 911!"

"Blood…so much…" Kano whispered, still frozen.

"KANOBA! CALL 911!" He snapped out of it and fished out his cell phone. He checked for breath sounds. He couldn't hear any. Next he checked for a pulse. He couldn't feel one. _Please! No! You can't be dead… You can't be! _Suddenly, he felt a slight pulse. It was barely there. He suddenly noticed Masamune staring at the scene, his face contorted in horror. He saw Ritsu, covered in blood and kneeling in front of Ari, clasping her wrist and touching her neck, desperate to find a pulse.

"Masamune, get over here!" Ritsu ordered.

"She—"

"NOW!" Stunned, he obeyed. "I want you to sit by her head, right there. Yes, that's good. We need to turn her over, be quick about it. Not yet. First, get her head elevated by putting it in your lap. Yes that'll work. One, two, _three!_" They quickly turned her on her side, and she immediately began to convulse. Most of the bloody vomit landed on Ritsu because he was still kneeling in front of her. She coughed and sputtered, unable to breathe. Ritsu quickly took to glass of water and brought it to her lips. She fought him at first, but once her throat was cleared she could breathe better.

"Ri…tsu…"

"Ari, I'm here! We need to get you—"

"I…I'm s-so…sorry.."

"For what?"

"Not…staying—"

"Shut up. You aren't dying. Tell me later. You need to save your energy.." Kano knelt beside him. Ari's dim golden eyes fixed in his electric blue ones.

"Ari.."

"Kano…"

"Ari, please. Ari, get better…. I need you." As he said it, he realized it was true. He hadn't had one 'episode' since he met her. He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips. She half-smiled, but it was pained.

"I'm…..so tired…." She murmured brokenly. Her eyes began to close and her hand dropped.

"Ari? Ari, no!" Ritsu cried.

"I can hear the ambulance outside." Masamune said. Kano suddenly lifted Ari up, bridal style, and ran outside, taking all four flights of stairs. Ritsu was only a half-step behind.

The night was a blur. He remembered getting downstairs just as the ambulance pulled in. The paramedics quickly went to work and asked who was going to ride with them. He glanced at Kano, and Kano nodded, so he got in. Everything the paramedics were saying fell upon deaf ears. He was numb. Nothing felt real anymore.

"—blood type?"

"Wha?"

"Blood type! She's lost too much blood! She's going to need a transfusion! I need to know her blood type so I can call and tell the hospital!"

"Sh-she's AB Negative…" He groaned. "What?"

"That's the rarest type in the world! This morning, I heard one of the doctors complaining that we were out!" They pulled into the hospital, and another doctor did a quick examination.

"Oh no! We have some, but it's not enough! If we don't get more blood, she'll die!" _Aren't you supposed to stay calm in front of patients?_ He thought numbly. He barely noticed the presence of Kano and Masamune behind him.

"Give her my blood." Ritsu said.

"Are you sure, Onodera-san? You—"

"Yes."

"Are you—"

"Yes, damn it!"

"But Ritsu, you hate needles…" Kano whispered.

"Is my stupid fear any reason to let her die?"

"Onodera-san, we must get moving! She's fading fast!"

**~Kyaaa! Okay, so I know that sucked, but I just wanted to update to show you I wasn't dead! Next chapter—will she survive? What about Ritsu and his horrible fear?**

**Question of the day: Can you name a Yaoi anime/manga that's cute, funny, and sexy? Not counting this one! **

**Please Review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**~Kyaaaa!~ Okay, I know the last chapter took forever to come out, so hopefully this one won't…. **

**Yes, I'm deathly afraid of shots. My veins are small (I dunno why…) so it hurts really bad. **

**Thanks for all the sweet reviews!**

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu wouldn't admit it, but he was terrified. Nobody knew he was afraid of needles besides Kano, and that was only because he's asked him directly after admitting that he himself was. Now he had no choice. This was all he could do.

"Onodera-san, I know it isn't safe to take more than two pints, but in this case, we'll need three, maybe four. I am not taking this lightly. You will get sick, and I insist that you admit yourself right after."

"Y-yes."

"Now sign here—" The clipboard was thrust back in his face. Ritsu had already signed it. He knew what it said. He didn't care. He hated hospitals, but nothing he felt mattered. All that mattered was the life of his dear friend—practically sister. He owed this to her. The doctor pulled out the cleaning cloth and wiped his arm where there was a visible vein. He almost flinched at that! He couldn't believe he was such a wimp! He took a deep breathe. _At least I look calm on the outside. _

Masamune looked at his lover with concern. He thought he saw Ritsu begin to tremble, but he took a deep breath and stop. _That idiot! If he's scared, he should at least tell _me_! He probably thinks he's being brave or some stupid shit like that. Well, I guess he is. He was the one to take charge while we were all in shock, and he probably saved her life, but he can't do everything on his own._

Ritsu jumped slightly when he felt something touch his hand. He realized it was Masamune's hand. He blushed deeply. _H-he's holding my hand? Why? Oh…_

"I-I can do this—"

"Shut up, baka. You can't do everything on your own. Besides, how do you know I didn't just want an excuse to hold your hand?"

"Th-that's—"

"Onodera-san, are you ready?"

"Y-yeah…." He said that, but he flinched when the needle was close to him. The doctor huffed in annoyance, and Masamune gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. When the doctor saw them holding hands, he grimaced. Masamune glared at him. The doctor—whose name they STILL didn't know—went back to putting the needle in. Ritsu gasped, and his pupils were like the size of a pin prick. After three pints were out, and the doctor took the needle out, he nearly fainted. Masamune caught him and held him close. The doctor walked out, muttering something along the lines of 'disgusting'.

"Yeah, well you aren't so pleasant, yourself!" said a voice behind them. They turned to see Hiroki standing there. "Brat, you look like shit." He commented. When Ritsu turned fully to him, he saw the blood covering his shirt. "HOLY HELL! YOU LOOK HORRIBLE!"

"…Gee, thanks…"

"What happened to you?"

"Not me. Ari… Ari's really sick. She vomited blood and—" Hiroki held up a hand.

"You're not looking so hot. Maybe you should lie down… in a bed." He added that last part because technically he was laying down, but it was half in a chair and half in Masamune's lap. Ritsu blushed when he realized his position, and he tried to sit up. But the universe apparently didn't like that idea. He felt like he got hit in the head with a brick. Masamune nearly didn't catch him, and Hiroki helped him lay Ritsu back on the patient table.

"I'll go find a doctor—a different one—and tell them he needs a room. I could probably get him in a room with Ari—"

"Just go do it." He half snapped. Hiroki was going to say a snarky reply, but he realized how much stress Masamue was under. Hiroki walked into the hallway and looked for a doctor. The only one he saw was Tsumori. _Hell no! But… I don't know how long it'll take to find another doctor, and Nowaki had to meet with a patient's family... Geez, that giant brat, who does he think he is, inviting me over here to go out to dinner—gah! I'm supposed to be looking for a doctor! Not thinking about such stupid things!_ He swallowed his pride.

"Tsu—Tsumori!" The blond turned. He grinned.

"Oooh~! It's No-wa-ki's cranky boyfriend! What is it? Are you hitting on me?" _Are you on drugs?_

"N-no," He clenched his teeth. "I need your help…"

"Oooh~ But if Nowaki catches us—"

"_Catches you doing what?"_ came a sinister voice. They turned to see Nowaki. He pulled Hiroki close and glared at Tsumori.

"Baka, I was asking him about a patient!"

"A patient?" Tsumori asked, serious now.

"Two actually. I need to know what room number Arika… Shit, I don't know her last name…."

"Ari-san? Oh no, what happened?"

"I don't know. Onodera said she was sick, something about vomiting blood."

"Oh my!"

"I doubt there'll be many 'Arika's here. I'll go look in the records."

"Thank you, Senpai."

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Later that day, Shinzo, Ryo, and even Isaka stopped by. Isaka had come by to get the designs, and luckily, Ritsu'd had Miko get his bag. Isaka looked astonished.

"Whoa. These are great! You really saved our asses. Anyways, Takano-san, you need to come in to work." Masamune shot him the 'Are-you-fucking-kidding-me' look.

"Ma—Takano-san, you should go." He brought his deep brown gaze back to Ritsu's small, pale form on the hospital bed.

"I'm not leaving while you—"

"Please? I don't want to hold you back from work—and I'm actually pretty tired…."

"But—"

"Go on."

"Onodera…"

"Takano, you're being a nuisance to a sick person. I think you should go…" He didn't really think he was a nuisance, but he wanted time alone. Masamune sensed this and sighed.

"Fine, but I'll be back as soon as I'm off."

"You don't need to—mmph!" Masamune's lips covered his own. He almost melted into the kiss, but he realized that Kano was still in the room. Masamune seemed to notice too, and they reluctantly ended their kiss.

"Oh, how's your arm?"

" I dunno. I'll check…" He peeled off his bandage. It was horrible! His arm was all swollen and purple, and there were actually finger-prints from where the doctor from before had been holding his arm. Masamune's lip curled in a snarl. The man had to have done it on purpose, but he had no idea where he was.

"It's fine. Just get going."

"I'll be back at six."

"No you won't. It's hell-week."

"Good point… Damn… I'll call you when I get off."

"Okay…" He murmured sleepily. After Masamune left, he slept for a bit. When Ryo and Shinzo came in, he was still asleep. Kano was at Ari's bedside, and he hadn't moved. She was awake briefly earlier, but she was still exhausted.

"Are they—"

"She vomited so much blood she needed a transfusion. They didn't have her type, so Ritsu had to donate more than is safe. Now he's asleep, and she's getting better." He said it and smiled, but it was empty. His eyes were dull too.

"You need to sleep, brother."

"No! What if—"

"Shinzo-san is right. You won't help either of them by depriving yourself of sleep."

"…Okay, but I'm not leaving…"

"Okay. Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah, but where are you going?"

"I have a date." Shinzo declared. Kano could see Ryo's smile slip and his eyes darkened. He had a feeling his brother was in for one hell of a date. After Shinzo left, Ryo winked at Kano and took off in the same direction as Shinzo.

**~Kyaaaa!~** **Okay, I know there wasn't much going on in this one, but I thought Masamune was kind of cute…. **

**Question of the day: Okay, I was thinking about making a facebook page dedicated to my pen-name… I was going to post some pictures I drew of my characters so you could see them. Be warned, I'm not an amazing artist, but I'm not horrible… So what do you think? Should I make a FB page and show you guys the pictures I drew? **

**It could take a while to make though, I have to figure out how to use this scanner thing…**

**Please Review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Kya. Yeah. I'm not happy. I haven't updated because right now my life is shit. Why? Okay, so there was a rumor going around that three of my friends drank a Gatorade that was spiked with Vodka. Someone who obviously must have a grudge against us told the vice-principal, and we were all taken down to the office and questioned. We all told the same story because it was true! None of us did it! But someone told the principal that three of us did, so he kept saying that we were lying! He threatened to send us to Juvie! (Like jail, but for under-aged people) Anyways, those three were suspended for two weeks with NO PROOF! I think that's illegal. So now I'm in a bad mood. I'm scared that he'll think I was lying too and suspend me on Monday… Oh, and now they have to attend a cancelling group every week and one of them got kicked off the wrestling team. I'm sorry if I don't update as fast as I should, but I have to deal with this crap. Plus, the stress is killing my stomach. **

**Anyone else have trouble logging in?**

**Disclaimer~ **

Shinzo smirked. He was so proud of his plan! He couldn't believe everything was actually going as planned! Usually these things always blew up in his face!

_**Flashback~ **_

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit! SHIT! Why did I tell him that? I have a serious problem… Why me? I guess I'll call Morika and ask her to pretend to be my girlfriend… and apologize like hell after she slaps me in the face… _

_**Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiing—**_

"Hello?"

"Katiwa Morika?"

"Yes?"

"It's me, Shinzo—"

"Oh, Shizo-kun! How are you?"

"I'm fine—er, actually, I'm not so good…"

"Oh no! What's the matter?"

"W-well, I'm having trouble with this guy—I MEAN GIRL—who won't take 'no' for an answer, and I kinda told him—I mean HER—that I had a date with you…"

"So…Is this guy hot?"

"Well, he is—HEY!"

"Haha, just kidding. I'll help you get rid of him."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

**End of flashback~ **

It wasn't hard to pretend. She was funny, smart, and pretty. Here they were, two eligible single people, neither one bad-looking, and yet, one wasn't in the least bit attracted to the other. Mori smiled at him, her pale brown eyes lit up when she saw him. In his eyes, they were an all too familiar ice-blue instead. He shook his head to clear all thoughts of Ryo and smiled back at her. She waved him over to a table in the back of the nice little café. She smiled warmly at him and laid her hand over his when they sat down.

"W-what are you—"

"I think your -ex just walked in. We have to act all lovey-dovey, right?" He glanced around, acting nonchalant, and saw Ryo sitting in a table diagonal from them. Ryo's eyes turned icy as he saw her lay her hand on Shinzo's. He smiled to himself. _This is going to be fun. _

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Ritsu was bored. Plain and simple. He had nothing to do. Miko had finally made Kano go home, and the gentle giant was not happy about leaving Ari and Ritsu alone. Ari was asleep again, and Ritsu was better. At least he thought so. The doctors and nurses insisted he stay in bed. _Would it really be so bad if I walked around a bit? I already finished Hiroki-san's book, and the TV here sucks… Hmm…_ He glanced around warily. Nobody in sight. He stood up. _See, I knew I was fine! I hope Miko is keeping an eye on Rara-chan… Woah, I guess I am a bit dizzy…_ He shook his head and kept walking. He really didn't like hospitals, but wandering around one was better than staying in the room itself. In the room, the walls were a pale yellow that was once probably a cheerful color. Now it was just sad looking and ominous. There was also a mural around the ceiling; it was of circus animals and clowns. The paint had faded, and now the clowns were just freaking creepy! He shivered. It wasn't much better out here. The walls were white, almost too white, the halls smelled like that gross hospital soap, medicine, and something that could never be described. He sighed when he looked around. In one room, a kid about his age sat with his arms crossed as he tried to glare at the man who was now asleep on his bed with him. With a start, he realized it was Misaki, the intern! He walked quietly up to the room.

"Takahashi-san?"

"O-Onodera-san?"

"Yeah. Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah… I just fell and broke my arm. I tripped while I was dusting the balcony and fell down the stairs…" He huffed an annoyed sigh and held up his left arm, showing Ritsu the red cast.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that—wait, is that Usami Akihiko?" He asked, clearly surprised.

"Y-yeah. Are… Are you a fan of his?"

"Well, yes, but I was also his editor before…."

"You were?"

"Yeah. But now I switched companies—I wasn't fired, I just wanted a change of pace. He got a new one…. her name was..Aikawa, right?"

"Yeah!"

"How… I mean.. Is…"

"She's a good editor. Not that you weren't, I just-um, I—"

"It's okay, Takahashi-san."

"Misaki. Call me Misaki."

"A-alright… Misaki-san."

"So what brings you here, Onodera-san?"

"Um… It's a long story…" He told Misaki his story, and to his surprise, the chocolate-haired boy with the brilliant green eyes got teary-eyed. He sniffled.

"Poor Ari-san…. I've met her, and she was so nice… " He sniffled again, and Akihiko stirred. He sat up fully when he realized Misaki was crying.

"Misaki? Misaki, what's wrong?" When he noticed Ritsu, he glared and snarled, "What did you—"

"Usagi-san! No, it wasn't his fault!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"A friend of mine is also in the hospital. She's really sick…. Hey, you never said why _you're_ here. You're in a hospital gown too…"

"I-I had to donate blood… But they didn't have any AB Negative, so I had to donate more than is safe, so now they want to keep me here in case I get sick…"

"Oh, Onodera-san, you're so brave!" Misaki said in awe. Akihiko didn't seem to like the fact that Misaki had complimented another man. But then he caught the name.

"Onodera? Oh, you were my editor before, right?"

"Yeah. It's good to see you. I hope you haven't been giving Aikawa any trouble with deadlines!" He said playfully.

"Nope."

"You liar! Don't listen to him, he's just a—"

"Now Misaki, be polite." Misaki grumbled something about a 'stupid rabbit' and shut up. Ritsu noticed a large teddy-bear sitting in a chair. It had a bright red ribbon. Ritsu smiled.

"I see Suzuki-san is fine." Akihiko smiled. He remembered why he liked the kid now.

"Yep. He's great. Now I have Misaki to look after him—"

"Baka!"

"Are you two related?"

"No. We're lovers." Akihiko declared before Misaki could say anything. Misaki looked at Ritsu fearfully, and Akihiko had an unreadable expression. Ritsu simply nodded. He had already decided that he somehow attracted other gay people.

"Oh. Okay then. Misaki, don't look like that. I don't care. Besides," He sighed. "How can I judge you when I'm in the same boat?"

"W-what?"

"I—"

"Onodera-san! What are you doing here?" A nurse exclaimed.

"I was just—"

"You better hurry up and get back to your room! You shouldn't be out here! You could faint!" She grabbed his arm.

"No need for that, I'll escort him." Akihiko said. He glanced at Misaki, as if to ask permission, and Misaki nodded. The nurse nodded briefly and went back to work. Ritsu was surprised, but he was starting to feel dizzy… Akihiko walked him back to his room, but he didn't leave.

"Is there something—"

"Don't try and steal Misaki."

"W-what?"

"Everyone pines after my Misaki. Don't even try."

"I'm not going to. We're just friends… I.. I already h-have someone…" He added, stuttering and blushing. Akihiko wasn't convinced. But suddenly, Ritsu felt and arm pull him back protectively. He looked behind him to see Masamune there. He glared at Akihiko. But now Akihiko's expression was different. There was no trace of animosity.

"Usami Akihiko." He said, extending a hand.

"I used to edit his books. I'm fine, he was just asking me a question."

"Takano Masamune." He said, shaking his hand. Some sort of silent message must have passed between the two semes, because they both suddenly smiled slightly and nodded. Ritsu had no clue what had just happened.

Masamune was reluctant to shake the silver-haired man's hand. From his point, it looked like he was threatening Ritsu, but then he realized what was happening. When they shook hands, he sent a small glare that said, '_Back off, he's mine.'_ And Akihiko returned it with,

'_I know. I already have my own.'_ Now that they didn't have any reason to hate each other, both smiled a little.

"You may want to keep an eye on him though. He was wandering the halls, and that nurse said he could get sick if he did that."

"What?" He demanded. Ritsu shot Akihiko a look that clearly said, 'traitor!' But Akihiko only smirked. _Payback for the deadlines. _

Akihiko left, leaving the two lovers alone. Masamune glared at Ritsu.

"What?"

"Why did you leave the room?" He demanded. "You could have fainted somewhere—"

"Stop worrying so much! I'm fine! I was just…I got bored, okay! I finished my book, and Ari still hasn't woken up!"

"That's what I was coming to tell you."

"Huh?"

"I stopped by on my lunch break, and she was awake. She was terrified to have you gone. She had no idea where you were."

"Oh… I didn't know…" He felt very guilty now. The only person who hated hospitals more than him was Ari.

"Just don't scare m—her like that again." _Over-protective idiot._

"Fine—WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" He screeched as Masamune scooped him up and carried him bridal-style towards the room. Masamune smirked.

"Well, you couldn't be trusted enough to walk on your own, princess, so I, your prince, shall carry you."

"I AM NOT A PRINCESS! I AM MALE!"

"Oh, I know." Masamune said with a wink. Ritsu blushed, but before he could reply,

"RITSU!"

"Ari—"

"YOU SCARED ME! Why did you leave? I didn't know where you were!"

"I-I'm sorry—"

"I was sooo booooorrrrreeed!"

"Didn't Kano drop off some paper and pencils?" She glared at him. He was glad her eyes had their fire back, even if they were scary now.

"Yes, but I suck at drawing. Draw me a wolf. I want to color it."

"You could say please, you know."

"You could've told me where you were going." She shot back. Masamune rolled his eyes. They really did fight like brother and sister. He dumped Ritsu on the bed and fetched a paper and pencil for Ritsu.

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He was done after an hour. It took so long because he added so much detail. He drew a proud she-wolf standing on a rock in the middle of a forest. He kind of felt the urge to color it too, but he scolded himself for being childish. It was strange. He never once thought of Ari as being childish, but that was because she never had a childhood to begin with. She smiled at him, and her eyes lit up as she began to color the picture.

"I have to go now." Masamune said reluctantly. He still didn't like the idea of leaving Ritsu behind.

"Okay. We'll be fine. I'll call you when I'm being released, if I do get released today, that is…"

"Alright, but if you don't, I'm comin back here and staying with you."

"But—"

"No 'buts'."

"Baka…" Masamune leaned forward and kissed him on the head. Ritsu surprised them both by kissing Masamune on the lips. Masamune pulled him up closer so they could kiss better, but they heard someone clear their throat.

"Ahem. Visiting hours are tomorrow at three, and they end at five. Any non-family memebers must leave. _Now."_ It was that doctor that had taken Ritsu's blood. He had his lips drawn back in a look of disapproval, and his eyes were dark. Ari suddenly stopped coloring.

"Takano-san is my brother. So fuck off." She snarled. He looked taken aback, but the he scowled and walked away.

"Thanks." Masamune said.

"No problem. You pretty much are, anyways. Ritsu's my brother in all but blood, and since you're all but married…."

"We are not!" Ritsu protested.

"Yes you are. You said you were going to move in with him."

"I—"

"You did. I heard you in your sleep. And you told Kano, too."

"He did? Good. I expect that we'll be moving his stuff tomorrow then." Masamune stated smugly as Ritsu blushed and stuttered. He had an odd gleam in his eyes. It wasn't bad… It was more like he was just really happy.

"D-don't decide that on your own!"

"Too late."

"Hey—"

"I'm already leaving; I can no longer hear any half-assed protesting…" He trailed off, grinning as he walked out.

"Baka!" Ari laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You. You guys are just so.. so… Kyaaa!" She giggled. He blushed, but he knew that no matter what, he wouldn't change her mind.

"Can I see the picture now?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Okay, but you're not off the hook~! And By the way, I demand to be your best-man at your wedding. And you shall be my Maid-Of-Honor."

"B-but—"

"NO 'BUTS'! You're lucky that I'm not going to make you wear a dress… don't make me change my mind!" She threatened.

"O-okay… Just let me see the picture." She handed it to him, and he smiled. It was beautiful. She blended different lush greens for the trees and added shadowing effects to the ground and rock. The wolf herself was beautiful too. She was pure black and sleek. As he peered closer, he noticed a patch of white fur on her chest. It was in the shape of a heart. There was no other color on her. He noticed that the eyes were golden, which was odd for her. She hated her eyes, and never used the same color in her pictures. He glanced up at her, and she half-smiled.

"I know this is a bit cliché, but that's what I want to be when I'm reincarnated."

"But that won't happen for a long time."

"If you say so."

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"I told you to fuck off!" Masmaune yelled into the phone.

"Aw, but Masamune, is that any way to talk to me~?"

"Stay the fuck away from me."

"Oh, but I can't do that. I'm coming over tomorrow night~!"

"Try, and I'll kill you."

"Aw, so mean… No matter. I know once you see my face that you'll forget about being angry…"

"Go to hell." He snarled, but the line was already dead.

**~Kya!~ Okay, I know I took forever, but please forgive me! **

**What will happen on the second half of Shinzo's date? Will Ritsu really move in with Masamune? Who was that on the phone? **

**Question of the day: What's your favorite candy? If you can't choose, say a few of them. **

**My answer: I love 'Robin Eggs' and 'Candycorn!'**

**Please Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**~Kyaaaa!~ Haha, thanks for all the sweet reviews! They made me smile! I was sick on Valentine 's Day… Oh well. I don't have a boyfriend anyways. Most of my friends are guys, so it'd be kind of weird for me. Except one of my best friends likes me, which is sad because I only like him as a friend….You guys don't care about my love life though, so I'll go on with meh story! **

**Disclaimer~ **

Masamune was pissed. Ritsu could tell that much, but he didn't know why. Surprisingly though, he kept his promise and was back by six. He stayed the whole night and returned the next evening around seven o'clock. He looked like hell though.

"Baka… I told you that it would be okay if you came later…"

"I know, but I couldn't focus. There's no point in being there is all I can do is half-assed work." He declared.

"Takano-san, you're_ such_ a workaholic." Ari said, rolling her eyes. She looked a ton better. She was still a bit pale, but she was better. Especially since Kano came back. He smiled at her and chuckled.

"So?"

Suddenly, there was a tap on the door. It was _that_ doctor. The one who took Ritsu's blood. Masamune instantly glared at him, but he felt Ritsu's hand on his; a silent plea to keep silent. He growled, but he didn't attack the man. Yet.

"Onodera-san, we need one more pint of blood—"

"He already gave too much!" Ari exclaimed.

"Excuse me, but which one of us has a doctoring degree? Exactly. I'm a doctor, and I say he's fine now. In fact, he can leave tonight, but not before ten o'clock."

"Listen here, you ass—"

"Okay." Ritsu cut Masamune off.

"Then come with me," He snapped. Masamune got up to follow, but, _"Alone." _He added and sneered. Masamune bristled, and Ari thought he was actually going to kick some ass. Not that she minded. She saw the bruises on Ritsu's arm too. Before Masamune could snarl something she was sure would frighten young children, Ritsu got out of the bed.

"I'll be f-fine." He tried to put on a brave face, but it slipped. Kano stepped forward.

"I'll go with him. We're family." He lied smoothly. The doctor looked at the stuffed wolf—Shika-kun—and snorted.

"Fine, just hurry up." He growled. Masamune was actually seeting with anger now, but he shot Kano a grateful look. Kano simply nodded. Ari watched them go, regretful that she couldn't do anything.

Masamune brought his fist down on the tray that was on the table, making her jump.

"What—"

"How can I help him if he won't let me do anything?" Masamune growled.

"You know how he is. Mr. Independent doesn't want any help from anyone."

"But we're supposed to be lovers! How can he not rely on me?"

"Takano-san…. He hasn't ever relied on anyone before. He used to rely on me and Nonagaru, but then he moved, and I pretty much told Ritsu that I wished he was dead. I don't think he wants to rely on anyone because it's always backfired on him. He also doesn't want anyone to love him because he's scared to death that he'll hurt them, or they'll hurt him. His parents… Well, that's… his mother told him he was engaged when he was in Highschool, and he tried to tell her that he only like An-chan as a friend. She wouldn't listen, and because of that, An-chan thought that maybe he could love her one day, and now no matter what, she'll always love him. As for his father, well, I think they're on good terms. Onodera-papa is always so calm and collected. Ritsu just wanted to prove that he could be inderpendant. If you want him to rely on you, you need to push him just a little. Not too much, or he'll pull back. Just a gentle nudge."

Before he could reply, Ritsu and Kano walked back in. Ritsu was kind of leaning on Kano, but it was because he was a bit dizzy. Kano was scowling.

"What happened now?" Ari groaned, already dreading the answer.

"Dr. Zurino," _So that's his name… _"Was…He was…" Kano's eyes were dark, that same midnight blue they got when…

"Kano-kun, you should calm down." Ari said earnestly. He glanced at her, and immediately, his eyes lightened and he was calmer than he had been.

"He made Ritsu sit down, and barely gave him a chance to see the needle before jabbing him, and Ritsu freaked out—"

"Did not!"

"—and he yelled at him. He said some very nasty things about—well, I don't really want to say… So then this guy came in—Hiroki-san, I think—and he hit him with a bag. Then Hiroki-san had Nowaki-san do it instead…" He trailed off as he saw Masamune begin to tremble with fury. He was no longer listening. He saw small tears welled up in Ritsu's eyes before the brunet blinked them away. He was about to storm off and beat the shit out of him, but he felt something tug on his shirt. He glanced back at Ritsu.

"M-Masamune, please don't. It'll only cause problems for _you_ anyways…" He was about to say 'I don't care,' but Ari shot him a look. He sighed angrily.

"Fine." He growled. Ari nodded approvingly. Masamune felt his phone buzz. He glanced down at it and his lips drew back into a snarl. Ritsu gave him a puzzled look.

"I have to go deal with some shit. Do you still have the key I gave you?" _Key? Oh yeah…_

"Y-yeah… Why?"

"Because you never use it! Use it tonight when you come home. Tomorrow we're going to move your stuff in."

"B-but I…Okay… S-sounds good." Ritsu blushed and Masamune smiled. He kissed Ritsu on the forehead and walked away. Ari giggled.

"Awww, you're sooo sappy! I love it!"

"Sh-shut up!"

"Aw, but Ritsu-kun, you guys are practically married now!" Kano added with a grin.

"That's what I said!" Ari cheered. Ritsu face-palmed. _What have I done?...Oh well. I planned to move in with him anyways. I have about an hour until I can leave. I guess I should get dressed and pack my stuff._

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"_**Get. The. Fuck. Out!" **_Masamune snarled at the man standing in his apartment.

"Aw, but Masamune~, I—"

"GET OUT!"

"No. I don't want to. Besides, you should want me here. We're practically related!"

"I mean it, Suroku! Get out before I fucking kill you!"

"But my dear big brother, why on earth would you kill your darling little brother?"

"We aren't brothers. You're just my mother's son."

"That at least makes us half-brothers! We even look similar!" They didn't, really. Suroku had their mother's black hair too, but he was more tan, had grey eyes, and had a smaller build than Masamune. "Besides, I traveled all this way! You could at least make me a cup of coffee before I go…"

"If I do, will you get the fuck out?"

"Of course I will!"

"Fine. Stay here and don't touch anything!" He growled as he walked into his kitchen. Suroku ignored his rule and began to snoop around. He grinned as he saw Masamune's phone on the coffee table. He picked it up and read through the messages. His smile widened when he saw the texts Masamune had sent to Ritsu. _Wow. This Ritsu must be his girlfriend or something… interesting. I'll show him who the best son is. I'll show mother which one of us is the best. _He smiled evilly and started to write a text message.

**Sent to: Onodera Ritsu**

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A few moments later, Masamune slammed a cup down on the table.

"Here. Now drink it and then go."

"Thanks, bro!"

"Shut up."

Suddenly Masamune heard the door being unlocked and opening. He was about to go open it, but he felt himself being suddenly pulled forward. He landed with a '**Thud'** on top of Suroku. He struggled to get up, but Suroku wouldn't let him go.

"Oh~ Masamune~ That feels so good~!" Suroku drawled. _What the hell?_

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Ritsu couldn't move. It felt like his world had just been shattered. He walked in to see his lover on top of someone else.

"Oh~ Masamune~ That feels so good~!" _No! Why? What did I do wrong? Why…? How could this happen to me? I… I knew it!_

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Ritsu seemed to be frozen in shock. Masamune's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

"R-Ritsu! It's not—"

_**SLAM! **_

Ritsu was already gone.

**~Kyaaaa!~ I know, I have soo many cliffies! What will happen?**

**Will Takano get him back? **

**I'm sorry! I forgot the rest of Shinzo's date! I'll put it in the next one, I promise! **

**Question of the day: What's your favorite animal? My answer: I love wolves, panthers,.. Gee, too many…**


	20. Chapter 20

**~Kyaaaa!~ Okay, I have been sick for the last 2 weeks. My stomach has been killing me and it's been really hard to eat anything. Well, anything hot anyways. Yeah, I don't know why, but when I'm sick, I can't eat anything hot. If I eat cold things, like ice-cream, it feels slightly better sometimes. My dad thinks I'm lying and just want ice-cream. Last year, that was all I could eat for two weeks. Just Ice-cream, cereal, and popsicles. I like all of that, just not every day. Now I have a sore throat too. I don't know what to do, so I think I'll write. **

**I have to go to a funeral today. I'm not in the best mood. I don't even know if I can update this today (Friday). **

**Disclaimer~ **

Ritsu continued to run. He didn't even know where he was going. The nice day seemed to mock him. In movies, when the lover cheated and the other caught them, it would be raining. He felt the tears begin to run down his face. _It hurts…so much… I don't understand! He asked me to move in with him, and he does __**this**__! _He looked at his phone again and cursed. He threw it to the ground and it smashed into pieces. He hated it with all his heart. The message that caused him to skip going to his own apartment first, had been still showing on that screen.

**Text Msg – From: Takano Masamune: **

**Hurry up and come home. We'll get your stuff tomorrow. I want you. Now. **

_Liar! You didn't want me! You probably never did! Why? How could you do this? Why are you so cruel? What did I do to deserve this?... Why do I still love him? I'll never forgive him…. No. That's a lie. I'm already broken. If he came here, I know he'd say things to make me melt. Whispering sweet nothings until I break completely. I'll never forgive myself. I hate myself, and I always will. I don't want love, and it doesn't want me. Just like what they say, Misery loves company. Misery is a life-long companion._ He laughed bitterly at that last thought. Suddenly he heard thunder in the distance and felt raindrops hit his head as he continued to run.

_Now everything's perfect. _He thought bitterly.

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Masamune was frozen. _No! This isn't real! It can't be!_ He heard laughter from beside him.

"Awww, Nii-chan! Looks like you messed up big time! I'll admit, I didn't even know you swung that way—"_**CRACK**_

A hand was brought down on Suroku's jaw. Hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you crazy bastard! I—" **CRACK-PUNCH-PUNCH**

Masamune fists kept coming down on him, each time they'd hit exactly where he aimed. Suroku looked up at him, blinking the blood that had run into his eyes away.

"If…he really means so much to you, and … you to him, why didn't Ritsu fight for you?" He choked out. _**PUNCH**_

"_Don't ever say his name again!" _Masamune roared.

"I don't care either way. I just had to find a way to ruin your life, like you did mine."

"I never did anything to you!"

"You. Were. Born!"

"What?"

"That's all mother talks about! 'why can't you be quiet like Masamune?' or 'Masamune was such a well behaved child, why can't you be?' It's shit like that—"

"MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE NEITHER HER NOR MY 'FATHER' EVER PAID ANY ATTENTION TO ME! THEY FOUGHT SO MUCH THAT I COULD NEVER GET A WORD IN! THAT WASN'T BEING WELL BEHAVED, THAT WAS FORCED SILENCE!"

Suroku looked stunned. _So… I just ruined his life for no reason? No! He deserved it! He… he… _

Masamune stood up and turned to his bloody, bruised, half-brother.

"When I get back, you'd better be gone. If not, I _**will**_ kill you." Suroku knew it was not an idle threat. Masamune slammed the door, leaving Suroku alone. Suroku refused to feel guilty.

_He deserved it! It's always 'Masamune this' and 'Masamune that'! He deserved it!_ But he knew he was lying to himself. He didn't deserve it. He was never even around that much. Suroku realized why Masamune never wanted to come visit. He and their mother never really talked. He realized that Masamune was different than he thought. His mother probably only said that to get him to behave more. He kept trying to find ways to justify his actions, but there were none. He sighed, wiped blood from his face, and walked out the door.

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Masamune had never run so fast in his whole life. First, he checked Ritsu's apartment. Empty. He called out his missing lover's name, but to no avail. He ran to Ishikaru's apartment and banged on the door.

"Takano? What the hell! Do you know what time—"

"Is Ritsu here?" Ishikaru narrowed his eyes, wondering what the idiot had done now.

"And if he is?" He challenged. Masamune swatted him aside and rushed into the apartment.

"Ritsu! Oi, Ritsu—"

"He isn't here. Why would he be? What did you do?"

"None of your business." Masamune stated, walking out the door. Suddenly Ishikaru's hand shot out and spun him around. He was surprised at how strong Ishikaru was, but he was in a hurry.

"I said, _what did you do?"_ He snarled. His eyes were dark, and he looked very scary. _I don't have time for this! _

"He saw something and misunderstood. Now he's gone and I can't find him." He said impatiently.

"What exactly did he see?"

"Well, me on top of Suroku—"

"YOU BASTARD!"

"I said it was a misunderstanding! He pulled me down on top of him and it looked like we were doing something we weren't!" Ishikaru considered this.

"If I find out you're lying, _I will kill you."_

"Alright! Just help me find him!"

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Shinzo stirred and looked at the figure in his bed. Only this time, he wasn't ashamed. He was… happy? He shook his head. He had no idea how things turned out this way, but he wasn't angry or regretful. Well, maybe a bit regretful, but that was for a different reason.

_**~Flashback~**_

He was right. It _was _fun. Every time Mori touched him, Ryo bristled. Mori was such a nice girl, too. Maybe he could actually—no. He couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. He knew he could never love her. With a start, he realized that her pale brown eyes were shining with love. _Oh God! What have I done? I didn't think she was still in love with me!_ He began to panic on the inside, while his outside self kept smiling and joking. Their food arrived, but to him it tasted plain. She didn't complain, she even said it was great. He noticed Ryo hadn't ordered anything except a drink. He hadn't eaten breakfast either. Shinzo wouldn't admit it, but he silently wished Ryo would eat. He could get sick if he didn't.

Ryo wasn't hungry. He had been earlier, but now he wasn't. Not after seeing _her_ with him. Shinzo. His Shinzo. He felt sick to his stomach.

"Shinzo-kun, why'd you stop eating?" She asked, concerned. "Does it taste bad?"

"N-no. It's okay…."

"Oh! I get it! I should feed you! That'd be perfect!" She giggled. He knew it wasn't real though. She actually wanted to. He felt like a horrible person. She picked up a strawberry with her fork and put it to Shinzo's mouth. He bit it, but it tasted sour. He thought that was odd because the other ones had been so sweet… It was probably because he was with _her._

Ryo was breaking. First, the girl took Shinzo on a date, touched his arm, made him smile, and now she was _feeding him._ _Maybe I should give up. Maybe he wasn't lying…_ He was going to get up and leave until he saw something that made him instantly storm towards the table.

Shinzo finished the strawberry. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Ryo was looking regretfully at him. It looked like he was about to leave. _Good… I should be happy…. Why aren't I? What is this pang in my heart? _

"I think he's giving up! Now, all we need to do is kiss…" She blushed and leaned close to him, pulling him into a surprised kiss. He didn't have time to react before he felt something pulling him away. He looked up into Ryo's eyes. They were cold and angry-looking. Mori drew herself up, trying to look scary. (Failing)

"Can I help you?" She demanded, reaching for Shinzo's arm.

"Stay away from him." He swatted her hand away.

"He's _**my**_ boyfriend!" She protested.

"Not anymore. He's mine. Don't try and get in my way."

"And if I do?" She challenged. He pulled Shinzo closer to him and leaned towards her.

"You'll regret it."

"Oh?"

"Yes. This—" he gestured to Shinzo, "—is mine, and there is nothing you can do to stop us." He pulled Shinzo into his arms completely and kissed him. Shinzo didn't fight back, but he didn't kiss back either. When Ryo broke the kiss, Mori was in tears. Before Shinzo could say anything, she ran away.

Ryo almost smiled. He was the victor! He knew he would be. But he couldn't bring himself to smile. The poor girl had been in love with Shinzo. He almost felt sympathy for her, but reminded himself that it was a good thing. He took Shinzo by the hand and the two walked home.

On the way home, Shinzo didn't fight the hand-holding. Ryo almost smiled.

In the house, he didn't struggle against his advances. Ryo half-smiled.

Shinzo admitted his feelings.

Ryo did smile.

_**~End Flashback~ **_

Shinzo still felt really bad about Mori though._ I should call her and apologize…_ He thought, getting out of bed and pulling boxers on.

He, of course, procrastinated. But the thought of her crying face didn't leave his mind. Later that night, when Ryo had already fallen asleep, he sat up. _It's now or never…_ He sat up and grabbed his phone. He was about to creep out silently, but he jumped when a voice startled him.

"What are you doing?"

"I-I was, um… I was going to call someone…?"

"At midnight?"

"I guess so…" Ryo moved closer, and before Shinzo could stop him, he grabbed the phone. His eyes narrowed at the contact that was showing. He glared at Shinzo.

"N-not like that! I.. I just wanted to apologize to her…" Ryo sighed, melting under Shinzo's caramel gaze.

"I know… But I think that would only cause problems. She could think she still has a chance because you're being so nice to her, and I don't want to break her heart again…"

"Yeah… I suppose you're right…" Shinzo blushed. Before he put down his phone, it began to ring, scaring the crap out of him and making Ryo laugh.

"Hel—"

"Shinzo! Have you seen Ritsu?"

"Takano-san?"

"Yes, now answer the goddamn question!"

"N-no, why? Is he okay? What happened?"

"He's missing. We can't find him anywhere. I—"

"WHAT?"

"He disappeared two hours ago—"

"Why? What—"

"He saw…something that wasn't… it was a misunderstanding! Just…Can you help find him, or not?"

"Yes. We'll meet you at Marukawa in fifteen minutes."

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Ritsu's sides hurt. He had been running so long his legs were numb. When he stopped they sure weren't though! They burned and screamed in protest every time he moved. He looked at the phone he had rebuilt. **32 missed messages, 16 missed text messages, 32 missed voicemail messages. **

The clock on his now-cracked screen said 11:24. He looked around and realized that he had done a circle of some sorts. He was in _that_ park. The one where the pervert had tried to attack him—and almost succeeded. Before Masamune showed up.

_Masamune… _

_No. Takano-san, now. You aren't together anymore. You never really were. _

_I bet if I went to my apartment, he would be gone already. He's probably already looked there, so why would he go back? _

_8888 _

_See, I knew it. _He thought. He would have been smug, but all he could feel was numb. He didn't even know why he was back here. Wait, yes he did.

He went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He pulled out the envelope that he'd hidden inside a bowl that was covered with a lid. Opening it, he dumped its contents out on the dining room table. He stared at them. One was a letter that he'd already read, but he had never noticed the seconed.

It was a plane ticket. It was dated for tomorrow at 2:30.

He put it in his pocket.

He knew what to do now.

**~Kyaaaa!~ I'm sorry that I take sooo long! I have been sick, but I also got into some NarutoXSasuke fandom… Yeah, I usually don't like taking straight guys from other anime, but I love those two together. **

**Question of the day: If you had to choose one, what super power would you have? Copy-cat super powers don't count! **

**My answer: Hmmm… Well, I'd kind of like mind-reading, but I'd also like shape-shifting… **

**Please Review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**~Kyaaa!~ So… I have a problem… For the ending I have planned, it could make this story really long. I thought about making a whole separate fic to fit it, but it'd be pretty short. But If I add it here, it may make this one too dramatic… Plus I already told you guys that there was only one more after this one…**

**Disclaimer~ **

"Takano-san… You need to sleep. It's almost four o'clock…"

"I don't care… Need… to find him…"

"Takano, you've been looking since like ten-thirty. It's been almost six hours—"

"Then you go home! I'll find him on my own!"

"Takano-san, you're going to make yourself sick. Just… take a nap. We'll keep looking."

"But… fine. Only an hour. Do you hear me? Wake me up in one hour!" Ryo nodded his head solemnly. He felt bad for the guy.

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_Masamune reached for Ritsu's retreating form. _

"_Ritsu! Please! I'm sorry! Please come back!" Ritsu form kept walking, but he himself couldn't seem to move. Ritsu was always just out of his reach. _

"_Ritsu! I'm—" Ritsu turned quickly and snarled. _

"_You're what? Sorry? I'm not. Now at least I know you never loved me at all. Now I can move on with my life."_

"_But, I love you!" Ritsu sneered. _

"_Love me? Riiiight. Well, news-flash, I have a new lover." What? _

"_Indeed you do." Drawled the silky voice of Hasegawa-san. Masamune hadn't even noticed him, but he had his arm around Ritsu. Hasegawa smirked. _

"_Don't worry, Takano-san. I'll take good care of Ritsu." He kissed Ritsu deeply, and Ritsu kept pulling him close. _

_No! No! NO! NO! NOOO! Masamune lunged forward with an animalistic snarl and pulled Hasegawa off of Ritsu. He threw him aside, but when he turned to Ritsu, he wasn't alone. _

"_Hello, Takano-san." An-chan smiled coldly. _

"_You remember my fiancé, don't you? We're getting married now!"_

"_What? But you—"_

Masamune woke up with a startled jump. His heart was beating fast and he was sweaty. He put a hand to his face and wiped off the sweat. He realized that some of it was tears. He had been crying in his sleep? _No. I won't allow that. I do not cry. _

_I will not cry. _

_I can't. If I did, that would break my almost nine-year streak… _

_It would really mean that it was all over. _

_I will never cry._

_8888 _

Ritsu had finally cried himself to sleep, but he found no rest.

_Masamune stood in front of him, sneering at the pitiful sight that was Ritsu. Ritsu was on his knees, crying. He couldn't move at all. _

"_Why? What did I do wrong?"_

"_Why?" Masamune mocked him. "Because you were fun to mess with. The chase was fun. Now that it's over, I'm quite bored."_

"_But… you said—"_

"_That I loved you? I know. I lied."_

"_What did I do to deserve this?"_

"_You gave love another chance. You're weak. You should have known that nobody could ever love you."_

"…_You're right…. I'm so stupid…"_

"_Yes. You are." Said an unknown voice. Wait, it wasn't unknown... It was the voice of the man that Masamune had….cheated with…. He was suddenly there, Masamune wrapped his arms around him. Ritsu hadn't seen his face, so the bangs were covering the top half of his face. What happened next was just cruel. The just kept kissing, and Ritsu couldn't move. _

Ritsu woke with a start, his heart was pounding and he was crying. He glanced at the clock. It was only noon. He changed quickly and grabbed his suitcase. It would take at least twenty minutes to get there and an hour to get through security. He could just read for the next forty-five minutes until they let him get on the plane.

He sighed, walking out the door.

He left a single piece of paper on the table.

8888

Masamune nearly strangle Ryo when he woke up at 11:52.

"I SAID ONE HOUR!"

"I know, but—"

"If I don't find him, I'll killing you will be the first thing I do!"

"Takano-san, we've been looking the whole time. Nobody's seen him…"

"What?" Masamune could feel something inside him break a little more. Nobody? If nobody had seen him… Could he be hurt? "There's one more option…."

"No!" Shinzo said immediately.

"Why not?" Masamune asked impatiently.

"You already know why!"

"But—"

"Kano thinks of Ritsu in the same way he thinks of me and Miko! If he found out one of us was missing…"

"What about Ari?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"What?"

"Do you honestly think that she won't tell him? Actually, do you honestly believe we could separate them long enough for you to tell her?"

"Damn… I still need to try. She could know where he was staying! They're like brother and sister!"

"Fine. But if Kano freaks out, I blame you."

"Isn't Ari-san getting out of the hospital today?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah." Masamune glanced at the clock and realized she was out by now. He rushed over to Ritsu's apartment, but when the door opened, a fist met him in the stomach. It didn't really hurt, but it surprised him. He looked up into blazing golden eyes.

"Ari—"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" She yelled at him. He noticed Kano behind her. He was glaring scarily.

"I can explain—"

"Please do." Kano said coldly. "How could you do this to Ritsu? He loved you!"

"How do you even know about any of this?" Shinzo asked, confused. Kano regarded him in the same cold manor.

"I'm not exactly deaf, brother." He had come home during the night and heard Shinzo on the phone. Shinzo'd had to put it on speaker phone, and Kano heard everything. (Or so he thought) He left after he heard Masamune say that he'd been on top of Suroku.

"Kano, Ari, it wasn't what it seemed! It was an accident!"

"Because of you, Ritsu's going to America!" She snarled, tears streaming down.

"What!"

8888

Ritsu sighed heavily. He was FINALLY done with security! It took forever! Traffic had been bad, so he got there a little later than he had originally planned. He almost teared up as he dragged his suitcase towards his plane. _No. No more._

He was about to board his plane when suddenly,

"STOOOOOOOP!"

**~Kyaaa!~ Sorry, another cliffy! I wonder what will happen…**

**Question of the day: Would you guys mind if instead of only one more fic, there were two more in the series?**

**Please Review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**~Kyaaaa!~ Haha, I'm soooo sorry about all the cliffies! I will try to do better! I think there will be three or four more chapters to this one! I love you all so much! Thanks for the sweet reviews! **

**Disclaimer~ **

Masamune was breaking several speeding laws. He didn't give a damn about that though. He had less than a half hour to get to the airport. The note Ritsu left was still clutched in his hand as he drove. The words repeated themselves in his head. Some relevant, some not so relevant.

_I'm sorry everyone, but I need to leave. My flight to America leaves at 2:30_

_I'm sure by the time you find this, I'll already be on my way. _

_My phone is broken. I accidentally dropped it, so the speaker is broken. Do not try to call me. _

_Takano-san, my work is done and turned in. I will contact Isaka on my own for next week's._

_Ari, make sure you feed Rara. _

_P.S. I'm sorry _

Masamune slammed his foot on the gas pedal harder. He could see the airport.

_I'm not leaving without him!_

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When Masamune came in to stop Ritsu, this was _**not**_ the scene he had pictured at all.

"LET GO!"

"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU MAKE UP WITH TAKANO-SAN!" Miko yelled, clinging to Ritsu's legs.

"MIKO! MY FLIGHT'S ABOUT TO LEAVE!"

"I'M NOT LETTING GO!"

"AGH!"

"STOP MOVING!"

"THEN LET GO OF MY LEGS!"

"NO—Hi, Takano-san!" Ritsu froze when the name escaped her lips. Before anyone could say anything, the intercom voice came on.

"_Last call for flight 107B! Last call!"_ Ritsu briefly remembered the last time he had left Japan. He'd searched the crowd, just hoping, praying, to find the face he was desperate to get away from now. It was funny in a sad kind of way. His flight number had been 107 then, too… He realized that if he waited any longer that he would miss his flight. He started to struggle more against Miko's hold. Damn, who knew a Yaoi fangirl could be so strong? He felt an even stronger grip on his arm. He spun around, eyes clenched, and swung out, hitting Masamune in the side, but Masamune didn't even flinch. Ritsu was going to go for another attack, but Masamune's grip was like iron. The main gate closed.

"No! I'm missing my flight! I can't—mmph!" Masamune pressed their lips together. Ritsu almost stopped struggling, but then he remembered the scene he'd walked in on and fought harder. "What the hell are you doing?" He screeched.

"Ristu, we can't talk here, let's go home." Masamune urged. He really just wanted to bet Ritsu out of the airport. Out of the 'danger zone'. He gave a small nod to Miko, signaling that he could handle it from here, and she let go. Before she walked away though, she whispered,

"You screw this up, and I will kill you both. I've worked too hard to have this relationship die."

Ritsu tried to shove him away, but Masamune wouldn't relent.

"Let me go! Takano-san, you bastard!" Masamune felt a pang in his heart. Ritsu didn't call him by his first name anymore…

"No." He threw Ritsu over his shoulder and grabbed his bag. Ritsu struggled, but finally gave in.

The car ride was completely silent. It wasn't quite awkward… it was more ominous and foreboding. Though-out the whole thing, Masamune kept one hand on RItsu, just making sure it as real. Making sure that this wasn't a dream, that his Ritsu was beside him.

8888

When they entered the complex, Ritsu stormed ahead of him. Ritsu didn't think he could take an elevator ride with Masamune, so he went for the stairs. Masamune was only a half-step behind him. Ritsu stormed towards his apartment, and Masamune was thankful that everyone had moved to his apartment or to Kano's house to wait. At least now they wouldn't be interrupted. Ritsu got in first and tried to slam the door on him, but Masamune grabbed it and forced it open.

"Takano-san! Just leave me alone!"

"No—"

"Haven't you done enough?" Ritsu cried, tears running down his face. Masamune tried to pull him close, but Ritsu swatted his hands away. "Please! Just go!"

"Ritsu, please! It wasn't what it looked like!"

"Then what was it?" Ritsu snapped, sobbing. "I tried so hard! I didn't want love. I didn't! You made me this way!" He cried harder. Masamune's heart broke just watching it. He pulled Ritsu close and hugged him. Ritsu didn't have the strength to fight anymore. He buried his head in Masamune's shoulder, ashamed that he felt this way. "You know, because of you-just being you, I'd probably forgive you. I'd hate myself forever, but I… I can't hate you. I tried. Please… Just tell me why?"

"Ritsu, I'm telling you. I really didn't do it! I know what you saw was… misleading, but you have to believe me! We weren't doing anything!"

"Th-then who was that guy?" He hated himself for sounding like a woman in an old movie, confronting her cheating husband.

"That was Suroku, my half-brother. He got on my phone and texted you. He said it was revenge for me ruining his life by being born. He pulled me down right when you opened the door. Ritsu, please believe me! I would never do that, especially after chasing you for so long. I love you…." Ritsu pulled back, and Masamune held his breath. Ritsu met his eyes, and the emerald orbs searched his own velvety-brown ones.

"I believe you." Ritsu whispered, blushing and wrapping his arms around Masamune.

"I love you, Ritsu."

"I-I love you too, Taka—Masamune." He corrected himself, making Masamune smile. He couldn't help himself; he pulled Ritsu to him, lifted him up, and kissed him. Ritsu certainly didn't protest.

8888

Ritsu lay panting in Masamune's arms. They had just made love—not fucked, not had sex—made love. He was so happy. He went to stand up, but Masamune's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"I'm just going to take a shower!" Masamune just didn't want to let Ritsu out of his sight.

"I'll go with you."

"B-baka! I d-don't n-need help!"

"Oh, but _**I**_ do…" He said with an evil smirk.

8888

**~Lemon~**

"Oh! Ah….St…s-stop…l-let—Ah! L-let go…" Masamune continued to kiss and nip Ristu's neck despite his half-hearted protests. They let the warm water trickle over their bodies without really noticing it. Masamune was glad that Ritsu's shower was so big.

"Never again." Masamune answered, pulling Ritsu closer. Their tongues battled briefly for dominance, but Masamune won. He was hungrily devouring Ritsu's lips until,

"M-Masamune! We just did it! I just wanted a normal shower and—_stop that!"_ He smacked Masamune's hands away. Masamune huffed in annoyance, but then he got an idea.

"Here, I'll wash your back…"

"I can—"

"Oh come on, I'm not going to do anything…"

"Oh really?" Ritsu snorted.

"Why, I'm insulted by your belief that I've got the sex-drive of a rabbit and the morals of a beast."

"Fine, just don't try anything funny…" Ritsu warned. He stood in front of Masamune, allowing him to scrub his back. Masamune got the sponge all soapy and began to scrub. Ritsu sighed happily.

"That feels so good…" Masamune gritted his teeth. This was hard to do without bending him over and fucking his brains out. Ritsu knew it, too.

Suddenly, Masamune pulled Ritsu back so he was sitting on the shower-bench with Ritsu in his lap.

"This position makes it easier for me to help you get clean." He explained without batting an eye. Ritsu glared at him, suspicious. Masamune began to scrub him in circles, getting bigger every time. He reached around and started to scrub Ritsu's chest, going lower and lower with each stroke. Ritsu let out a small moan. He dropped the sponge. _Fuck this! I can't wait anymore! I—Ah! _Ritsu had wrapped his hand around Masamune's now fully erect member. It was unusual for him to initiate anything like this, seeing as how he was always so timid in bed. Ritsu's hand went up and down twice, making Masamune groan with need. Ritsu smirked for a second. He was going to draw this out. Payback for all the time Masamune had done this to him! He knelt down and licked the head timidly, making Masamune gasp. He slowly enveloped the head all the way to the base, deep-throating him.

"Ah! Ritsu…" He groaned in ecstasy. Ritsu continued to suck and bob his head at different speeds, driving Masamune wild. One of his hands snaked through Ritsu's hair, urging him to go faster. He tried not to buck too much because he knew that this was still new to him. But it was so damn hard. He needed Ritsu to stop. If he didn't, Masamune would cum first. He lightly tugged on Ritsu's hair. Ritsu looked up at him, Masamune's manhood still in his mouth. The sight was too much. He needed to be inside! Ritsu blushed deeply when their eyes met. He couldn't believe he'd done that! He pulled his mouth off of him and was instantly pulled upward. Masamune immediately devoured his lips hungrily. He couldn't wait much longer.

"…Funny, I recall _you_ being the one who didn't want sex in the shower, and y_ou're_ the one who instigated it." He panted. Ritsu inwardly smirked as he said,

"Well, fine. We can stop anytime—Mmph!"

As they kissed, Masamune snaked his arm around Ritsu, so he could prepare him. Ritsu's gasp was covered by Masamune's mouth when he inserted the first finger. His fingers were slicked, but Ritsu was too far entranced to care when he had acquired the lube. When the second one was inserted, he moaned.

"M-Masamune….P-please!"

"Please what?" He asked. He was going to do it anyways, but he wanted to hear it.

"I-inside! P-please!"

"I don't know… I was having fun—"

"Fuck me! P-please, just fuck me!" Masamune didn't need to be told twice. Ritsu almost never said things like that. He sat down on the bench and held Ritsu over his cock. He pushed Ritsu down slowly, making them both moan. Once he was buried to the hilt, he paused for a second, letting Ritsu adjust. Ritsu started to move.

"Ah….oh…mmm….nnngh! Ah!..M-more…" He called. Masaune thrust up, meeting Ritsu half way every time. Ritsu made nail marks on his back.

"Ah! Oh!...Haaa…Nnngh! Ungh! Oh! Masamune! H-harder!" Masamune pulled out for one second, adjusting their position so Ritsu was half laying on the bench with one leg over Masamune's shoulder and one around his waist. It was taking too long for Ritsu's liking.

"W-what are you—AH!" He slammed back in all at once. He kept hitting Ritsu's pleasure spot, over and over. Ritsu began to clench around him. Masamune could tell he was going to climax soon. He reached his hand and started to pump him in time with his vigorous thrusts.

"Ah-ah-ah! I…. Ah!...Ungh!...Oh!... M-Masamune! I-I'm cumming!" Ritsu screamed, his seed hitting their stomachs and quickly being washed away by the now luke-warm water that they had stopped noticing.

"_Ritsu!" _he called as he met his own climax, cumming deep inside of his lover. After they collapsed, Masamune managed to turn off the water before they froze to death.

"Sex in the shower… definitely now one of my favorite places to do it."

"…It's not like you have a list…"

"…"

"YOU HAVE A LIST?"

8888

Everyone was in Ritsu's apartment for breakfast that morning. Ritsu and Miko had cooked while everyone else was talking or watching T.V. Everyone except Masamune. He _still _wouldn't let Ritsu out of his sight! Ritsu sighed, but didn't comment. When everyone was sitting down to eat, Masamune even pulled him into his lap, insisting he feed him.

"I'm not going to feed you, Masamune."

"But that's what lovers do." He complained.

"No, that's what teenagers or newlyweds do—and if you say we're like newlyweds, I'll kill you."

Masamune pouted.

"I'm glad you decided not to go to America, Ritsu. I like having you guys here to tease. Teasing _newlyweds_ is fun!" Ari cheered. Ritsu looked confused.

"What are you talking about? I'm _still_ going to America."

"WHAT?"

**~Kyaaa!~ Haha, I know, another cliffy! But this one… well, you'll just have to wait and see! I think the next chapter will be the last!**

**If this chapter sucks, let me know. I was half-asleep when I wrote it!**

**Question of the day: What's the class you hate most? My answer: Either math or gym.**

**Please Review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**~Kyaaaa!~ Haha, I scared you with my cliffy! Well, I think this will be the last chapter, but I dunno. You all know by now that I don't edit my author notes very much. **

**Haha, so funny story… My friend (who now has an account because of this…Hells Angel002) started reading my fics. She knew I wrote stories, but not what kind. After forcing me to tell her about this site, I had to tell her about my Yaoi writing… She likes it! She's never really read anything like it before, but I think she may become a Yaoi fangirl! Yay! The disease is spreading! **

**Dedicated to my dear friend who I already mentioned. Angel, this one's for you! (Not going to put her real name on here)**

**Disclaimer~ **

**Oh, and the next fic I will be working on is going to be called "You Are My Light" **

"_**What!"**_Everyone cried in unison. Masamune arms instantly tightened on him as if he feared that Ritsu would bolt at any time. Everyone was yelling and talking at once! He couldn't even hear himself think!

"What do you mean—"

"How could you—"

"Why—"

"That's not—"

"HEY! SHUT UP!" Ritsu yelled. Everyone looked at him, momentarily stunned by his outburst. However, Masamune continued (He was used to Ritsu's outbursts).

"What are you talking about? I though we settled this! I—"

"I SAID, SHUT UP!" Masamune raised an eyebrow. Everyone inwardly groaned. Ritsu squirmed on Masamune's lap (he hadn't wanted to sit there anyways, but Masamune…_insisted_) but Masamune wouldn't let go. Ritsu sighed and gave up. Shinzo tried to speak up, knowing those two could argue forever.

"Ahem, Takano-san… Give him a chance to explain himself." Masamune glared at him, but Ritsu cut off the remark he was about to snarl.

"I have to go to America. It's for the company. Isaka and I had a meeting not too long ago, and he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. That, and Marco sent me a very generous offer. After I declined, he called me about two weeks ago. I couldn't refuse, so I told him I would come at the end of the month." Everyone's jaws dropped (except Ari, because she heard him on the phone, but she had figured after meeting Masamune that Ritsu wouldn't leave).

"Why didn't you tell me?" Masamune demanded hotly. Ritsu glared at him.

"I DID!" He yelled.

"No you didn't! I think I'd remember—"

"During that storm! After we had sex, I told you that we needed to talk! You said 'okay' and you nodded, and you listened—or so I thought! Well, it's nice to know that you listen when I talk…" Ritsu huffed in annoyance. Masamune was dumbfounded. He racked his brain. He could only remember a little bit, but then he had fallen asleep!

"Er… I, um… Why haven't you said anything else about it?"

"I was going to talk to you about it _that_ night. But…" He trailed off. The memory of what happened with Masamune's half-brother was obviously still painful. Masamune squeezed his hand. Ritsu continued. "I originally wasn't going to leave until the twenty-ninth, but then I noticed that there was a ticket in the envelope, so I was going to use that instead." Ari thought for a second. The twenty-ninth was in two days…

"OH MY GOD!" Everyone jumped at her outburst.

"What's wrong?" Kano asked worriedly. "T-Takano-san, can I talk to you in the other room?" Masamune glanced at her, and then at Ritsu. He still didn't want to let him go, but he sensed that this was important. He stood up, Ritsu still in his arms, and kissed Ritsu on the top of his head.

"Hey-!" He chuckled and sat him down. He rolled his eyes at Ritsu's glare and followed Ari to the living room.

"What's the matt—"

"We forgot!"

"Forgot what?" She glared at him and pulled out her phone, showing him the calendar. He paled.

"It's Ritsu's Birthday." He stated.

"Oh really?" Ari asked sarcastically.

"What do we do?" He asked, trying not to panic. Ari was thoughtful for a minute.

"I'll get everyone out of here. Bring him to Kano's place around eight tonight. That gives you time to plan something and take him out to dinner."

"…Evil genius…"

"Yep."

8888

Ritsu sighed happily. It was almost eight o'clock. Masamune had given him a wonderful birthday. He was getting tired though.

"Ah ah ah, you can't sleep now."

"Why not?" He yawned.

"Because… I… I left something at Kano's house and I need to pick it up. You have to come too."

"But—"He silenced Ritsu with a kiss.

"I'll _make it up to you later."_ He whispered seductively. Ritsu shivered and couldn't help but smile.

8888

Later that night, let's just say that Masamune got creative with the frosting and Ritsu won't be able to walk for a week.

8888 **TWO DAYS LATER 8888 **

Ritsu sighed as he dragged his suitcase behind him. He was about to get on a plane. Masamune stood beside him, holding his arm. Ritsu thought he'd have a tough time getting him to let go.

"Masamune… It's only for a little while…"

"Two and a half weeks." Came the sulky reply.

"We already went over this. I have to go. I have to help set up the new company building. They'll need a translator—"

"Then why can't they hire one?" He growled.

"They're going to need more than one, and I would be a good asset to the team because I know all three languages and I am an editor myself."

"…"

"Don't pout."

"…"

"You're such a baby!"

"…Can we do it one more time?" Masamune asked hopefully.

"BAKA! Y-you just m-made me do it in the utility closet like ten minutes ago!"

"…"

"Goodbye, Masamune." Ritsu said, rolling his eyes. He pretended he was about to turn and walk away, knowing Masamune would grab him and pull him back. He did.

"What—mmph!" Masamune kissed him. Hard.

"Now remember, you belong to me. If anyone tries anything, have Miko beat them up." Miko had decided to go with him, to promote her now international company. (She owns a string of lingerie for men and women stores.) What really happened was Masamune wanted her to keep watch over him, not that he didn't trust Ritsu. He just didn't trust anyone around Ritsu. He was too cute for his own good!

"Damn it, Masamune! I can take care of myself!"

"I know." He smirked, kissing him again.

"_Last call for flight 107G! Last call!"_ Ritsu sighed and picked up his suitcase again.

"You know, it's funny… Every time I go to America, my flight number is 107…"

Masamune decided that he hated the number 107.

"I love you." Masamune whispered in his ear.

"I-I love you too." Ritsu stuttered.

Ritsu kissed him one last time and boarded the plane

Masamune groaned. He already wished Ritsu had stayed, and the plane hasn't even left yet!

This was going to be a looong two and a half weeks!

**ATTENTION! If you want to know what happened on Ritsu's Birthday (Sorry for the lack of detail, but I'm running out of time to type!) Wait for my one, maybe two-shot fic that'll be called 'Frosted Ritsu' or something like that! It should come out tomorrow!**

**~Kyaaaa~! Okay, This fic is doooone! Yay! Sorry if it sucked, but I'm tried! After numerous death-threats from my friend Angel, I finished it! She didn't really know what Yaoi was until I corrupted her (slightly) innocent mind. Now I think she's a full blown Yaoi fangirl! **

**THE NEXT FIC IN THE SERIES WILL BE CALLED 'You Are My Light'!**

**Question of the day: What's your favorite flavor of ice-cream? My answer: I dunno… It depends. I like cookie dough, heath, butterfingers, strawberry, black cherry… TOO MANY!**

**Please review~!**


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